New Thor sequel Love and Thunder brings one of the franchise’s original stars back into the fold, with Natalie Portman returning as ex-love interest Jane Foster having undergone something of an upgrade.
Now calling herself The Mighty Thor and wielding our more familiar Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) hammer Mjolnir, this new version of Jane is a superhero in her own right – and fans might well wonder if we’ll see the character again in future movies or TV shows.
Well, it’s possible – with a few caveats. Below, we break down what happens to Jane in Thor: Love and Thunder, how she could return in future projects, and why. Obviously we’ll be dealing with spoilers throughout, so look away if you haven’t had a chance to see the film yet.
Seriously – we’re warning you!
Does Jane Foster die in Thor: Love and Thunder?
Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle to Jane’s return is death itself. Though that’s not always insurmountable in the world of Marvel.
During the film, we learn that since we last saw her Jane has been diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and her new bond with Mjolnir comes because of her illness (years before, Thor had asked his hammer to protect her, and this activated some deep magic within it).
Mjolnir re-forms for Jane and grants her the power of Thor – but somehow, her cancer keeps getting worse. Eventually Thor (the Chris Hemsworth one) works out that using the hammer is draining all her mortal strength and making her illness progress even more quickly, and he begs Jane to stop using the power.
She agrees – but in the final battle with Gorr (Christian Bale) she ends up joining her old boyfriend anyway, levelling the playing field but paying the ultimate price in the process.
After Jane dies, the Asgardians erect a statue in her honour, and Thor reclaims Mjolnir as he resumes his travels around the galaxy. It’s a sad but noble end for Jane Foster… or is it?
Jane Foster post-credits scene
As hinted by Jane’s body fading into glowing dust (earlier set up as the way you know a God is travelling to Valhalla), Thor: Love and Thunder’s second post-credits scene (yes, you have to wait right until the end) sees Portman’s hero arriving in the Norse God afterlife.
Greeted by the similarly deceased Heimdall (Idris Elba, whose character died in Avengers: Endgame), Jane is shown a beautiful, vast space full of vaguely Asgardian buildings and mountains.
“Welcome to Valhalla,” Heimdall says, before the scene ends… and then a message pops up. “Thor will return.” But which Thor?
Given that Jane has died, it seems likely the final message just refers to Chris Hemsworth’s more familiar God of Thunder – but in such close proximity to a scene specifically starring Jane’s Thor, we can’t help but wonder… what if death really isn’t the end for Jane?
The way Valhalla is presented in Thor: Love and Thunder makes it seem like a place we could revisit, or even where we could follow Jane’s further experiences. So who knows? Maybe she’ll make some sort of appearance in future Thor movies, or even some kind of upcoming Disney Plus show. Remember, Loki season two is shooting at the moment… stranger things have happened.
All we’re saying is, Jane’s death doesn’t completely rule out a return. While this might be a final, noble farewell for the character, it could also be the start of something new. Or at least the start of the start of something new-ish.
Thor: Love and Thunder is in UK cinemas now – watch the previous Thor films and more Marvel favourites on Disney Plus. Sign up now for £79.90 for a year or £7.99 a month.
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