The main reason Thor was Love and Thunder , which many anticipated before its release was Jane Foster’s return. The most exciting thing about the movie was the anticipation of the actor becoming the Mighty Thor and picking up Mjolnir. The tragic storyline of the character meant that this chain of events resulted in stage 4 cancer.
Marvel tried to conceal the fact that the storyline which was integral to the adaptation of the character, was ever in the movie. Marketing gave the film away despite all these efforts.
When the movie released, the sad news didn’t actually reach the audience until a good 15-20 minutes into the film.
Before that, we had to go over Gorr’s death and Thor meeting the Guardians. The big diagnosis, it seems, was the first thing that viewers saw when the film started, even before the Marvel Studios logo.
Jane’s Tragedy Almost Started The Movie
In an interview for Variety about Thor : Love and Thunder ,, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson spoke out about the time she spent on the film and how Jane Foster was brought to life.
When asked if there was any specific area of the script that the writer worked on alongside director Taika Waititi, she responded that “it was just about digging into the blueprint” given by the director:
” I would like to say that [I was focused] everywhere. The blueprint was amazing. It was then about getting into the blueprint. The key was to peel back layers and get into the characters. Jane’s story was one that I played a major role in. This was where I felt I could be the most helpful to the .”
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As for Jane’s cancer storyline, Robinson revealed that “it was always there,” and they aimed to “not shy away from the ugliness of it:”
“It has been there since the beginning. It’s there in comics and was even in Taika’s first draft. It was then about what did this all mean. There were many conversations with Natalie about the fact that we all have responsibility. It was amazing to be able show the cancer superhero and not hide the ugly side of the disease and all the hard parts, while still allowing the character to shine. Many conversations revolved around the question of “How can we make this story meaningful and relatable to cancer survivors
The writer continued, noting how “in the original draft, it was actually before the Marvel [Studios logo]:”
“Yeah. It was in the original draft before the Marvel [Studios] logo. In Taika’s initial draft, it was earlier. It was always a beautiful piece. In the end, Gorr used it as its source. I love it. Jane’s battle with cancer was not going to end in a getcha moment. This was the story of Jane. Here is her story. This is where it begins .”
She then shared how they navigated the real and painful topic within a more fantastical setting, saying that “[they] always tried to look for the truth and the emotion behind it, and really come from a human place:”
” I think that we have always sought out the truth and emotion and come from a human perspective. It’s not just a human place, it’s Jane’s human place. This is thinking about how Jane would handle it, and how Jane will get through the diagnosis. It’s the difference between a great story and one that feels universal. This was Jane’s particular story. Most cancer patients don’t have access to a magical hammer or other means that will make them superhuman and grant them enormous arms. You can see that there are a lot of amazing things. Then you get to the scene where she tells her boyfriend about her cancer. It’s a very human, real scene. This is a real, human scene. It took place on a spaceship .”
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Thor: Love and Thunder’s Tragic Opening
It seems like no matter which timeline the audience is in, there will be some very sad opening sequence. Evidently, Gorr was the one who got this film. Natalie Portman had only to wait for a few moments.
The scene was very well executed and laid the groundwork for Jane’s struggles. It was well done and seemed to work very well in the film. Many have regretted that the movie did not show more of her life.
Love and Thunder moved at an incredibly fast pace and took away a lot time that could have been used to support Portman. This is because the studio may be under pressure to cut the film’s run time.
Although Jane might have died before the end, it was revealed later that she had been accepted to Valhalla. The former God of Thunder, now free from cancer, is now able to take part in the Asgardian promises lands, at least for the moment.
Thor – Love and Thunder are now in theatres
