Natalie Portman preparing to ‘get jacked’ to play Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder

Actor will star alongside Chris Hemsworth in 2022 superhero film

Natalie Portman has revealed that she’s preparing to ‘get jacked’ for her role as The Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Appearing on Instagram Live with Serena Williams, the actor revealed that while production had been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, she was excited to get started on the forthcoming Marvel film.

“We haven’t started, Portman said, adding: “More time to get jacked. Which I have not. I’ve got the carbo-loading down, but not the exercise part.”

The actor also explained that her character was not replacing Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, but playing a new character called The Mighty Thor.

“The comics had the female Thor when Jane [Foster] becomes Thor, and she’s The Mighty Thor,” she told Williams.

Portman first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the original Thor film in 2011, as well as its 2013 sequel Thor: The Dark World playing scientist Jane.

Speaking to The Independent in 2019 about returning to the franchise, Portman said: “When [director Taika Waititi] came to me with this idea – that I get to be female Thor – it was a very exciting prospect … I think Marvel has been really wonderful at making their films look more like a reflection of the world and having superheroes of all different kinds of people.”

Thor: Love and Thunder’s release has been pushed back from 5 November 2021 to 11 February 2022.