The first teaser for Thor: Love And Thunder has dropped, and fans are excited to see the next chapter of the Thor movies. This fourth installment is bound to be spectacular, as it will be the re-introduction of Natalie Portman's Jane Foster into the MCU. This time, however, Jane Foster will somehow take up the mantle of Thor.
Given Natalie Portman's smaller role in the MCU up until now, this story might seem to come out of nowhere for longtime Marvel movie fans. On the contrary, Marvel diehards know that this passing of the Thor mantle has its origins in the comic books. These facts about Jane Foster may surprise those who have only watched the movies.
10 She Originally Met Thor's Human Identity
When Jane Foster first appears in 2011's Thor, she is an astrophysicist working with Erik Selvig and her assistant, Darcy Lewis. She encounters Thor after the god is exiled to Earth and lands in New Mexico. However, in the comics, Jane and Thor's first meeting is under completely different circumstances.
Working as a nurse, Jane Foster is hired to work under the counsel of a surgeon named Dr. Donald Blake. Unbeknownst to Jane, Blake is the human host of Thor when the god lives among the humans. Jane and Blake still fall in love, although Thor wrestles with the decision to tell Jane about his true identity.
9 Odin Prevented Thor From Marrying Jane
Despite this secret, Thor truly loved Jane and wanted to marry her, but Odin forbade his son from marrying someone who wasn't a goddess. Odin finally relented under the condition that Jane had to prove herself worthy. When Jane failed to do so, Odin rejected Thor's proposal, though the god would continue to see Jane on Earth.
Eventually, Thor revealed his identity to Jane and brought her to Asgard in an attempt to persuade Odin to change his mind. Again, Foster failed to adapt to the life of an Asgardian, so Odin sent her back to Earth with no memory of ever meeting Thor. She later fell in love with Dr. Keith Kancid, while Thor was betrothed to Sif.
8 Lady Sif Saves Jane Foster's Life
While Jane and Thor were separated, Jane grew physically ill. This time, however, Thor was nowhere to be found. Jane lucked out when Lady Sif, Thor's lover at this time, infused her own life force into Foster. With this, Jane not only recovered from her illness, but she also regained all her memories of Thor that had been erased.
As a result of Sif's sacrifice, Thor and Jane's relationship was rekindled. Jane even took it upon herself to accompany Thor on many adventures, as she carried with her the spirit of Sif. Later on, Jane came into possession of Sif's sword, which Jane was able to use to briefly transform into Sif while on Earth.
7 Mjolnir Chose Jane To Be The Next Thor
Eventually, Thor and Jane's relationship became on and off. While Thor was preoccupied with his adventures, Jane unfortunately was diagnosed with cancer. When Thor subsequently lost Mjolnir, the hammer telepathically called to Jane, who sought it out and picked it up, gaining Thor's powers and physique.
From all her years of watching Thor wield Mjolnir, Jane was able to learn to fight with it by example. She later encountered Thor, who demanded his hammer back. However, Thor later realized that it didn't belong to him anymore, and gave Jane the name "Thor," while he continued to go by "Odinson."
6 Jane Fights In The Secret Wars
The Secret Wars is one of the biggest events in Marvel Comics, finding superheroes throughout the multiverse battling for their own survival. During the 2015 Secret Wars miniseries, Jane resumes her role as Thor in the ensuing battles. She even teams up with Star-Lord, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man.
Jane ends up one of the few heroes who survive the collapse of the Multiverse. Eight years later, they are summoned to the Battleworld, a planet composed of several realities, by Doctor Strange. She went on to help many superheroes in defeating Doctor Doom, the creator and ruler of the Battleworld.
5 Jane Foster Joins The Avengers
Following the events of Secret Wars, Jane/Thor joins the Avengers. During this time, however, her identity remained a secret. Among her teammates at this time included Sam Wilson as Captain America, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Tony Stark as Iron Man, Sam Alexander as Nova, and the Vision.
Her identity didn't remain a secret for long. At one point, Jane is summoned several days into the future by Kang the Conqueror, separating her from Mjolnir. The only other Avenger to witness this was Sam Wilson, who luckily promised to keep her secret. At this time, Jane was still undergoing chemotherapy for her cancer.
4 Jane Defends America From A Hydra Takeover
Jane continued to serve as Thor despite her cancer treatments. She is eventually called to Washington, D.C. by Tony Stark to help defend the United States against an oncoming Hydra invasion. However, she fell into a trap when Madame Hydra altered Mjolnir's enchantment to allow the strongest to wield it, not just the worthiest.
During the ensuing conflict, Mjolnir was lifted by a variant of Steve Rogers from Earth-61311, fighting as Hydra Supreme. Rogers defeated Thor, sending her to another dimension. With the help of a farmer named Hecla, Jane was able to return to her reality in time to help the heroes defend Washington D.C.
3 Jane's Cancer Gets Worse
Sadly, Jane's transformation into Thor wasn't helpful in curing her cancer. In fact, every time Jane turned into Thor, it would set back her chemotherapy treatments. Eventually, she was told by Doctor Strange that if she turned into Thor one more time, she would finally succumb to her cancer. Jane subsequently retired Mjolnir.
However, Jane couldn't resist a call to action. She discovers that the city of Asgardia was on a collision course with the sun, which could result in the destruction of the Asgardian people. Jane made the ultimate sacrifice by changing into Thor to stop it from happening, though Odinson and Odin would use the God Tempest to revive her.
2 Jane Becomes A Valkyrie
After almost losing her battle with cancer, Jane gave up the mantle of Thor to focus on her treatment. Odinson adopted his name again, and Jane's role in fighting from here on out was scarce. She later proves herself by assisting Thor in rescuing Odin and Frigga from Malekith at Stonehenge, donning a vambrace forged from Mjolnir.
Later, Thor found Jane lamenting over the corpses of the fallen Valkyrie. Thor remarked that without any Valkyrie left alive, no one would be able to escort souls into Valhalla. However, the spirits of Brunnhilde, reacting to Jane's vambrace, offered her the role of the new Valkyrie, which Jane humbly accepts.
1 Jane Foster First Appeared As Thor In What If...?
Most MCU fans probably know What If... from the animated series on Disney+. The series is based on a popular Marvel anthology series that began in 1977. The series features several "What If" scenarios involving Marvel heroes, and it was also the first time that Jane Foster ever took on the mantle of Thor in the comics.
In the tenth issue of What If..., Jane finds Mjolnir before Dr. Donald Blake and becomes the first human host of Thor Odinson. While fighting as Thor, she keeps her identity a secret while maintaining a romantic relationship with the naive Dr. Blake. She even gets an opportunity to fight Loki when he comes to Earth for revenge.