The Untold Story Behind Thor: Ragnarok's Hilarious Meta Moment with Natalie Portman

In a recent interview with GQ, Natalie Portman shared her experience of filming the previous Thor movies, which made the gag play in Thor: Ragnarok more meta. The film franchise underwent a significant overhaul in 2017, when director Taika Waititi took over and introduced new elements, such as Asgard's dramatic plays.

Even though Portman skipped Thor: Ragnarok, having appeared in the first two Thor films, she returned for Thor: Love and Thunder. Given her familiarity with Marvel Studios' big movie filming process, she understands the challenge of dealing with the diverse schedules of the cast members.

Additionally, a major factor contributing to the humor in Thor: Ragnarok is the behind-the-scenes chaos that ensued during filming. Due to conflicting schedules, many actors were not present on set at the same time, resulting in scenes being filmed with stand-ins for main characters. This led to humorous moments such as scenes featuring a man who resembled Anthony Hopkins, but was not actually the actor, wearing his iconic wig and costume while delivering his lines.

Waititi enlisted some notable actors for cameo roles in both Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder. In the former, Matt Damon played Loki, Luke Hemsworth portrayed Thor, and Sam Neill appeared as Odin. Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy made her debut as stage Hela in the latter. It remains to be seen if any of them will return to reprise their roles in a potential Thor 5, even if Waititi is not involved in the next installment of the MCU sub-franchise.

The stage plays were already quite humorous, but the fact that they were filmed for the Thor movies only adds to their comedic value. It's possible that Waititi's own experiences as a director inspired him to include this gag. Since Portman was part of Thor: Love and Thunder, it would be interesting to hear her take on the specific stage play in the film and whether it brought back memories of her previous MCU appearances.

Although Portman's Mighty Thor character met her demise in Thor: Love and Thunder, that doesn't necessarily mean she won't make a return to the MCU. The play about Loki's death in Thor: Ragnarok serves as a reminder that Marvel Studios has the power to reverse character deaths if they so choose. While there's no clear indication that this will happen, it's reassuring to know that it's a possibility.

Source: GQ