Jane Foster is Mighty Thor in 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder. Here's how she became worthy enough to wield Mjolnir in the MCU, and her role explained.

Jane Foster might be known as one of Thor's love interests in Marvel Comics and the MCU, but she eventually takes on the mantle of Mighty Thor in Thor: Love & Thunder. Jane's transformation into the Goddess of Thunder will occur in the upcoming MCU movie Thor: Love and Thunder. Her character arc as Mighty Thor looks to follow in the footsteps of her comic book counterpart. But how did Jane become worthy enough to wield Mjolnir?

Outside of the MCU Thor franchise, Jane's first comic book appearance occurred in 1962 with Journey into Mystery #84 as a nurse for Dr. Donald Blake. Jane found herself stuck in a love triangle with Blake and Thor, not realizing they were the same man: Blake was Thor's mortal host. Thor later took Jane to Asgard, where she was granted immortality. Still, Odin later stripped her of those powers believing she wasn't courageous enough to harness them and sent her back to Earth with no recollection of her time on Asgard. She reappears after years in Thor: Love & Thunder, but she's worthy of wielding Mjolnir this time.

Throughout Thor's history in Marvel Comics, Jane Foster remained a supporting character. She eventually became a doctor and married Dr. Keith Kincaid. Even though she was married to another man, Jane continued her involvement in the life of Thor and his various conflicts. During the Civil War story arc, Jane took Captain America's side and joined in assisting the Secret Avengers. Thor appointed Jane as the Midgard representative in the Congress of the Worlds. Shortly after, Jane went through several life changes, including her notable stint as Mighty Thor. In Thor 4, Jane will operate under the new moniker "Mighty Thor," and the latest footage reveals that she's quite a force to be reckoned with. Here's the character of Mighty Thor explained, and how Jane Foster became worthy enough to pick up Mjolnir.

How Jane Foster Became Mighty Thor

In Thor Vol. 4 #1, the God of Thunder lost his ability to wield the hammer. When the Avengers battled Nick Fury, the man whispered something in Thor's ear, causing him to become unworthy of Mjolnir. The hammer stayed on the Moon as Thor, and even Odin, couldn't move the mystical object. By the end of the comic book issue, an unidentified female character arrived on the Moon and lifted the hammer as the inscription on the weapon changed to: "Whosoever hold this hammer, if she be worthy, shall possess the power of... Thor."

It was eventually revealed that, while Thor's hammer was still on the Moon, it telepathically sought out Jane. She asked Heimdall to take her to the hammer's location, so he transported her to the Moon. When Jane picked up Mjolnir, she instantly transformed and gained Thor's powers. Jane decided to keep her identity as Mighty Thor a secret, but it drove the original Thor crazy, not knowing who took control of the hammer.

Mighty Thor jumped right into the action, getting in the middle of the tension between Malekith the Accursed and the Frost Giants. During that conflict, Thor found his successor and demanded that she return the hammer. He later backed off when he realized Mighty Thor was worthy enough to handle the responsibilities. Thor gave his blessing to Mighty Thor, relinquishing his name and hammer. From then on, he went by the name Odinson.

Odin also tried to retrieve the hammer by using his brother Cul Borson, the God of Fear. After he was equipped with the Destoyer's armor, Cul targeted Mighty Thor. Odinson called upon Freyja and an army of women to assist Mighty Thor in Cul's attack. Jane's identity as Mighty Thor remained a secret to Asgard and the rest of the world. She later fought during the Secret Wars comic book storyline, and served as a member of the Avengers. Foster coincidentally remained as a senator in the Congress of Worlds to avoid suspicion with her alter-ego.

Jane Foster's Powers As Mighty Thor

When Jane lifted Mjolnir as Mighty Thor, she acquired all of Thor's divine powers. Through the hammer, Mighty Thor had the power of flight and interdimensional transportation. She was additionally able to manipulate electricity and weather. Jane's new identity as Mighty Thor also significantly transformed her physical appearance. Every time she lifted the hammer, Mjolnir increased her strength and gifted her a helmet with long blonde hair and a costume that stood as a female equivalent of Thor's iconic look.

Not all of Mighty Thor's abilities were positive. Before Thor becomes unworthy, Jane is diagnosed with breast cancer. She refused to participate in any kind of magical treatment and instead took a chance with chemotherapy. Unfortunately for Jane, each time she transformed into Mighty Thor, there were adverse effects on her health. The hammer purged all toxins from her body during the transformation process, including the radiation treatment for her cancer. The helpful drugs were subsequently emitted, so Jane's condition worsened as cancer spread throughout her body. She eventually sought help from Doctor Strange, one of the few people who knew her true identity. He advised her to stop transforming into Mighty Thor as the next time could kill her.

When Jane took the Thor moniker, she also took on the superhero's relentless fight for the greater good. Mighty Thor ignored Doctor Strange's warning and transformed a final time when the fate of the Asgardians was in danger. She bravely sacrificed Mjolnir and herself to stop the attack. Odinson finally learned of Mighty Thor's identity and was heartbroken to discover it was Jane. He and Odin took Jane's lifeless body to safety and managed to revive her. Odinson could wield the hammer again, and Jane convinced him to take back the Thor mantle as she continued to focus on her chemotherapy.

Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster Returns As Mighty Thor in Thor 4

In the MCU, Jane Foster will be transformed into Mighty Thor during Thor: Love and Thunder. The film by Taika Waititi serves as the fourth solo Thor installment, with Natalie Portman reprising her role as Jane Foster after appearing in Thor and Thor: Dark World as an astrophysicist and eventual love interest for Thor. Portman also appeared in Avengers: Endgame via archive footage during Thor and Rocket's time travel mission to retrieve the Reality Stone housed in Jane's body. Portman's involvement in Thor: Love and Thunder was confirmed at Marvel Studios' panel during San Diego Comic-Con 2019.

Natalie Portman's Jane Foster returns to the Thor franchise after eight years, and a lot has changed for the character. Based on a replica helmet listing for Mighty Thor, the indications are strong that the upcoming movie will be keeping her cancer storyline intact. Jane Foster's struggle with breast cancer played a significant role in her storyline in the Marvel Comics, and Waititi plans to add this into the fold of Thor 4. It's her cancer diagnosis and her struggles with chemotherapy that make her worthy to wield Mjolnir in the comics, given that her powers block the treatment, and the cancer progresses every time Jane Foster wields Thor's power – yet she persists to fulfil the role the universe needs her to, and this may unfold similarly in the movie.

After her 8-year hiatus from the world of Asgardians, Thor: Love & Thunder provides a strong reappearance, as opposed to her previous, less imposing introductions. She's seen wielding a cracked (but repaired) Mjolnir, which chose her over Thor himself, evoking an astonished reaction similar to when Steve Rogers took his hammer. While Thor gathers himself from the shock, Jane Foster proves herself as an equally impressive superhero in the latest footage. All in all, she seems to be taking on the role with aplomb, and only an actress like Natalie Portman could weave in the diagnosis arc as a form of strength for the character.

While love is definitely on the horizon for Jane Foster and Thor in Thor: Love & Thunder, the pair have a whole lot more to worry about. Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher is a terrifying sight to behold, and he likely threatens all of Asgard and any other god within the Ten Realms. So while Thor tries to find himself (and possibly true love), Mighty Thor will be showing off her prowess as a new MCU superhero.

Next: Who Is Gorr the God Butcher? Christian Bale's Thor 4 Villain Explained