Fans were a bit perplexed when they saw Natalie Portman on the purple carpet during the Avengers: EndgameLos Angeles premiere on Monday night.
After Portman starred in the first two Thor films as Jane Foster, an astrophysicist and Thor’s love interest, she disappeared from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now viewers are wondering if Portman’s appearance during the screening means her character is making a return. She starred in 2011’s Thor and 2013’s Thor: The Dark World.
In a 2016 interview with Wall Street Journal, Portman touched on her future involvement with the Thor series. “As far as I know I’m done. I mean, I don’t know if maybe one day they’ll ask for an Avengers 7, or whatever, I have no idea. But as far as I know I’m done, but it was a great thing to be a part of.”
The following year, Thor: Ragnarok premiered and there was no sight of Jane. In that threequel, Thor meets the warrior Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) though it’s uncertain whether their relationship will be romantic.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told Entertainment Weekly in 2017, “We wanted Thor to encounter somebody that was near his equal and that his relationship with Jane may have evolved in unexpected ways in between The Dark World and Ragnarok and we wanted to pit him against a character who was much more his equal and in many ways his superior.”
However, in 2018, it seemed Portman was more welcoming to the idea of once again being brought back into the MCU. Speaking with Screenrant just before the arrival of Infinity War, she said, “I’m completely open to everything, but I have no news about that.”
At this point, it’s unclear whether she’s making a comeback. Regardless, fans are still speculating. Read some of their reactions below. Avengers: Endgame hits theaters April 26.
