Taika Waititi says Thor 4 may (or may not) change a 'really powerful part of the books'

Natalie Portman's return as Jane Foster for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder may, or may not, resemble the character's story in the comics.

Taika Waititi, who will return to the franchise after 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, will use writer Jason Aaron's Thor run in the mid-2010s as the inspiration for the upcoming four-quel. But now, speaking with Variety, the Jojo Rabbit director has further elaborated that Love and Thunder might not be a direct translation from page to screen.

We know that, as in the comics, Jane will wield Mjolnir and take on the mantle of Thor. However, in the comics her mortal body is ravaged with cancer that’s made worse by her Godly transformations, and that part might not make it into MCU canon.

"I think that’s a really powerful part of the books. I think it’s really cool that she’s fighting this thing and there’s two battles going on. Personally I really love that storyline," Waititi began, before adding that "whether it ends up in the film is yet to be seen."

Given that the film won't go into production until early next year, it seems that Waititi is trying to avoid getting too bogged down with any one idea. And while Aaron's work will serve as a definite jumping-off point, Love and Thunder may change a few things along the way. 

"We’re not sure if we’re going to do a complete lift of that whole storyline," Waititi revealed. "These things change through the shoot and even when we’re editing sometimes. Like, 'Let’s get rid of that storyline where she’s got breast cancer. We’ll change it to something else, or maybe she’s fine.'"

We shall see when Thor: Love and Thunder storms into theaters starting Nov. 5, 2021.