Thor: Love and Thunder merchandise reveals how Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster turns into a superhero

The teaser for Marvel’s upcoming film Thor: Love and Thunder released on Monday. And even as it gave a good look at the reluctant superhero in Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, what got everyone talking was the return of Natalie Portman to the franchise. Natalie played Thor’s girlfriend and scientist Jane Foster in the first two Thor films. Not only is she back but this time, she is also a superhero, wielding the Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. As many fans are curious about how this transformation occurred, a new line of merchandise connected with the film has spoiled the show. Also read: Thor Love and Thunder teaser: Chris Hemsworth is on a journey of self-discovery; Natalie Portman lifts Mjolnir. Watch

Thor: Love and Thunder is the fourth solo Thor film and sees the hero grapple with identity issues post the events of Avengers: Endgame. According to the official synopsis of the film, “The film finds Thor on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods.”

This causes Thor to enlist the help of old friends Valkyrie (Tessa), Korg (Taika) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie). However, he discovers that Jane can now wield his magical hammer Mjolnir, which gives her all his powers as well. Many fans are confused how this took place since Mjolnir was destroyed in Thor: Ragnarok.

A new line of character replicas have been put on sale online. As per The Direct, the description of the Mighty Thor’s helmet reveals that Jane got her powers from Mjolnir’s broken pieces when she visited New Asgard, the sanctuary of Asgardians on Earth. The description reads, “Suffering from cancer, astrophysicist and Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, visited New Asgard and her life was changed forever. Mysteriously, the broken pieces of Mjolnir, the hammer of the thunder god, transformed her into the Mighty Thor and gifted her the superpowers of Thor, to battle threats internal and external. Wielding Mjolnir herself, she had become a godly protector and a new hero was born!”

The cancer storyline mirrors Jane’s track in the Marvel Comics too. In the comics’ Mighty Thor storyline, which was introduced in 2014, Thor finds himself unable to lift Mjolnir and loses his powers. However, Jane, who is suffering from cancer, is able to lift the hammer and transform into a different version of Thor.

Directed by Taika Waititi and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, Thor: Love and Thunder also stars Tessa Thompson, Jamie Alexander, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and Vin Diesel, all of whom reprise their roles from previous MCU films.