The Marvel cinematic universe has a great boon that not many franchises have: a wealth of pre-existing story arcs and material to pull from. In the past, the company has done a pretty good job of pulling from already famous stories, and adapting them to resonate with modern audiences, appealing to new fans, while also whipping up the nostalgia crowd who are thrilled to seeing old narratives hit the big screen. It would seem that this trend will continue for Thor: Love and Thunder, as Natalie Portman has recently revealed that Jane Foster's superhero origins will stick closely to the original comics.

A spoiler warning, of course, for those who don't want to know anything about the film, as this will likely be a central element of the story. Portman confirmed that, just like in the original story, Jane Foster will become the mighty Thor after having been diagnosed with cancer. She will presumably have to balance her own illness during her personal life with her secret identity as the next Thor.

RELATED: Black Widow Leak Teases Return of a Fan Favorite Character

The story arc is based on Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman’s Mighty Thor series, where Jane is diagnosed with breast cancer, and wielding the hammer of Thor both grants her extraordinary power, and temporarily cures her body of toxins. The catch, however, is that it clears her of all toxins, including the ones used to treat her cancer. This becomes a significant conflict in the comics, to the point where it is warned that transforming into Thor too often could kill Jane.

Portman seemed eager to start working on the project, remarking: “I can’t tell you that much. I’m really excited. I’m starting to train, to get muscles. If there can be all these female superheroes, the more of them they are, the better it is.” The project also sees the return of Taika Waititi as director, which probably means it will be just as colorful and energetic as Thor: Ragnarok. While plans can still change, and Marvel has made quite a few schedule tweaks over the past year, the film is still planned for a February 2022 release.

Thor: Love and Thunder will theoretically be in theaters in February, 2022.

MORE: Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. Series Coming to Hulu Early 2021

Source: GamesRadar+