Jane Foster returns in Thor: Love and Thunder after being absent from the previous installment, Thor: Ragnarok. Her character wasn’t explored enough in the previous films, but the fourth film in the series changes that.
We see many more layers to this complex character who has an interesting arc of her own, besides being Thor’s love interest. It was long overdue, and I was glad to see the character’s story unfold on the screen.
In the trailer, Jane turned into the Mighty Thor, and I immediately had several questions. The most crucial ones were:
- How did she become Mighty Thor?
- How is the Mjolnir fixed?
- Has Jane Foster become worthy?
- What will become of the character?
If you had them too, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll answer all these, highlight key moments from her arc, and share my thoughts on what the future holds for her.
In Thor: Love and Thunder, Jane Foster gets diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Mjolnir prevents her from dying because Thor had once commanded it to protect her. So, Jane starts wielding the hammer after making it whole again, and turns into the Mighty Thor. However, Mjolnir also prevents chemotherapy from working on her, which eventually leads to her death.
I know I’ve dropped quite a few bombs back there, so I’m going to let you breathe for a second. Now, let’s jump in.
Thor: Love and Thunder begins with Jane undergoing chemotherapy. She has had cancer for the last six months, and the treatment isn’t working.
When she’s in her lab, her eyes are drawn toward the Viking Origins book, which tells how Mjolnir can help her gain stamina and make her feel better. The only problem is that Mjolnir was already shattered by Hela in Thor: Ragnarok.
Since nothing else was working, Jane decides to visit New Asgard, where the broken pieces of the hammer are being preserved in a museum-like space. When she goes near it, she feels a sudden surge of energy.
Next thing we know, Jane has turned into the Mighty Thor, as we saw in the trailer. This happens because back when Jane and Thor were together, Thor commanded his hammer to always protect his then-girlfriend and keep her out of harm’s way.
But all was not fine for the brilliant scientist. She seemed okay on the outside only as long as she had the hammer in her hands. The moment she let Mjolnir go, she returned to her normal, dying self. (I know, not the best choice of words.)
What made things worse was that the hammer took away her energy to fight cancer and didn’t let chemotherapy work. But she also knew that Thor couldn’t take on Gorr alone. He needed help, and who better to do that than the Mighty Thor. The only catch was that if she did pick up the hammer again, she’d die.
Thor tells her to rest, but eventually, Jane picks Mjolnir up one last time and come to his aid. The film ends with Jane succumbing to cancer. In the post-credits scene, we see her in Valhalla (The Vikings’ Heaven), where Heimdall welcomes her.
Overall, this is how Jane Foster’s arc starts and ends in Thor: Love and Thunder. She had some excellent moments throughout the film because her character was more than a damsel in distress. She was fighting her own battles, and even in the end, it was her sacrifice that made victory possible for Thor. In a way, she rescued him.
Will Jane Foster return to the MCU?
Jane Foster’s return to the MCU isn’t confirmed yet. The studio hasn’t spoken about the film or the post-credits scene, so we don’t know what the future holds for this incredible character.
Since she isn’t alive, Jane might not return to the MCU at all. If she does, it might be through the Secret Wars’ premise of parallel universes or in some other mystical way.
About Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder is a MCU movie and the fourth installation in the Thor series. It is directed by Ragnarok’s director, Taika Waititi, and will show Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman reprising their roles as Thor Odinson and Dr. Jane Foster.
The movie will be based on The Mighty Thor comics in which Thor Odinson loses the ability to lift Mjolnir, and Jane Foster takes on the role of Mighty Thor. After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor teams up with The Guardians of the Galaxy for a short time, leaving Valkyrie as the ruler of New Asgard. But Thor returns to team up with Korg, Valkyrie and Jane’s Mighty Thor to take down Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) – before he takes out all the gods in existence.
Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson return for Watiti’s second go, while Russell Crowe and Natalie Portaman join Taika’s project for the first time. The movie is out on July 8, 2022.
No Comments on Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor Drives the Tale of Love and Thunder