Natalie Portman Is Out, Tessa Thompson In, for ‘Thor: Ragnarok’
The Thor franchise never quite did right by Natalie Portman.
Sure, she had good chemistry with her superheroic co-star, Chris Hemsworth. But through two films, she never really got any true standout moments, and mostly just played an effective (if very intelligent) damsel in distress for the God of Thunder. She certainly never got the kind of scenes or dialogue that made other Marvel women like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts or Hayley Atwell’s Agent Carter such crucial and beloved parts of the wider Marvel Universe. If we’re being honest, the role of Dr. Jane Foster, at least as it was written, wasn’t worthy of her talents.
So it’s not wildly shocking that, per The Hollywood Reporter, Portman will not return for the third Thor film, Thor: Ragnarok. But you know what they say; when one Rainbow Bridge closes another appears from that magic sword that Idris Elba holds. THR says that Tessa Thompson, most recently wonderful opposite Michael B. Jordan in Creed, has signed on to star in the film. They add:
Details for Thompson’s part have not been revealed, but she could be the female lead as Natalie Portman, who was the female lead as Dr. Jane Foster in the previous two Thor installments, is not returning.
TheWrap says Thompson will actually appear in multiple Marvel movies. Let the speculation about her character begin! Maybe Monica Rambeau? Roz Solomon?
Whoever she’s playing, Thompson’s a great addition. Let’s hope Ragnarok makes better use of her gifts than either of the previous movies made of Portman’s. Thor: Ragnarok, directed by Taika Waititi, opens in theaters on November 3, 2017.