After multiple set leaks and nonchalant character reveals, Thor: Love and Thunder is finally gearing up for a huge release. We now have an entire trailer, including our first glimpse of Mighty Thor, Jane Foster’s alter ego after she’s deemed worthy to lift Mjolnir. However, while we see this version of Jane, we don’t see her before this transformation.
But Marvel has quietly confirmed a huge part of Jane’s story will remain true to the comics that inspired it, adding a tragic but hopeful plot point to the upcoming movie. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Direct noticed a curious line in the description of an Eaglemoss replica of Mighty Thor’s helmet, which says “Suffering from cancer, astrophysicist and Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, visited New Asgard and her life was changed forever.”
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This is the first mention of Jane’s breast cancer being a plotline in Thor: Love and Thunder. It had previously just been included in fan theories, which speculated that Jane’s transformation into Mighty Thor would also include her fight with cancer before she lifts the hammer.
Jane’s fight with breast cancer was included in the Thor comics and continued in her own run. While becoming Mighty Thor restored her body to health it didn’t actually purge the cancer, and every time she lifted the hammer all her chemotherapy progress was slowly undone, forcing her to balance her mundane and superheroic identities.
The inclusion of this storyline in Thor: Love and Thunder will add some tragedy to a movie that seems to absolutely drip with Taika Waititi’s signature wit and enthusiasm. It will be interesting to see how he handles something that’s far more sensitive, but that leads to what will undoubtedly be one of the most iconic moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4.
The Inverse Analysis — This reveal should also comfort fans of Marvel comics. After years of veering away from its source material whenever it suited the franchise, this is one huge aspect that will remain the same.
With this aspect of the comics making the jump from page to screen, there’s no telling what else will be as faithful to the source material as fans want it to be, not only within Thor: Love and Thunder, but in all upcoming MCU titles.
Thor: Love and Thunder is premiering in theaters July 8, 2022.
