What really happened to make Thor and Jane break up? And why has their relationship been such a
mystery until now? Luckily, "Thor: Love and Thunder" provides some much-needed answers.
The fourth installment in the Chris Hemsworth-led franchise sees the highly anticipated return of
Natalie Portman as Dr. Jane Foster. Despite having such a prominent presence in Phase 1
and 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she's been mysteriously missing since then.
Compared to other couples in the Marvel universe, Thor and Jane haven't been given
that much attention, at least when compared to the likes of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.
However, Jane's transformation into the Mighty Thor forces a reunion that's eight
years in the making. It's a good thing that Thor's been doing some self-reflection,
because he has to face off against Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale,
as well as deal with some unresolved emotions about his now superpowered ex-girlfriend.
The pair are certainly on rocky ground after such a long time apart,
but even Valkyrie, portrayed by Tessa Thompson, can tell they still have feelings for one another.
The narrative dives deeper into the duo's romance, expanding on what viewers know about their short
time together. Most importantly, the film finally answers the question of what led to Jane and
Thor's breakup, which Thor previously alluded to in "Thor: Ragnarok". A series of flashbacks set to
ABBA's "Our Last Summer," and narrated by Taika Waititi's Korg, show us exactly what happened.
"I believe that fate brought us together."
Thor and Jane's love story begins like so many that have come before it,
with Jane hitting the God of Thunder with her van in the desert. It didn't take long
for Jane and her friends to become advantageous allies to Thor in his fight against his brother,
Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. Along the way, Thor learns how to be truly
worthy to wield Mjolnir, and through all this, he and Jane fall in love.
Their next potentially world-ending adventure comes in "Thor: The Dark World"
when Jane absorbs the Aether. Once again, it's up to Thor to ensure his girlfriend remains safe,
and that's the last time we really see them together. "Thor: Love and Thunder"
fills in some blanks, but between the two films, the audience doesn't see the two
interact at all. This is certainly strange in the context of "Avengers: Age of Ultron,"
when Thor attends a party at Avengers Tower, and Jane is nowhere to be found.
"Yes, I'm not even sure what country Jane's in."
He does brag to his compatriots about Jane's accomplishments in the scientific field,
but why wouldn't he invite her to a big party? Surely, she would've liked to have met Tony
Stark and Steve Rogers. Of course, it's possible that this fictional couple was still together
but on shaky standing at that point. In "Thor: Ragnarok," Thor definitively states that he and
Jane have broken up, but until now, we had no idea what actually transpired between the two.
"Thor: Love and Thunder" takes fans behind-the-scenes of Thor and Jane's
relationship. In fact, the film reveals that the pair even lived together for a while,
enjoying each other's company while making breakfast and snuggling up on the couch to
watch movies. Everything was apparently going great for a while, but Thor soon
became overwhelmed by his fear of losing Jane. Even though he could envision a future with her,
Thor was scared of the hardship his world-saving activities could bring.
After all, his enemies targeted Jane in "Thor: The Dark World," and they could again.
Thor let his negative thinking get the better of him, and it drove a wedge between the couple.
To distract himself from his relationship woes,
the God of Thunder frequently went off-world on missions, and Jane began spending more time at
work. The tension in the couple's relationship eventually reached a boiling point. Sadly,
indifference and resentment built until Thor and Jane found themselves constantly bickering.
It was Jane who pulled the plug on their romance, although Thor claimed that their
split was more of a "mutual dumping," although this is somewhat hard to believe.
Despite their history, the pair are still drawn to one another, even though their dramatic parting
clearly still has an affect on both of them. Thor hasn't been truly vulnerable with anyone in years,
and Jane is falling victim to workaholic tendencies despite her cancer diagnosis. In
the end, their reconciliation allows both characters to finally move on.
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