Taika Waititi

Exclusive: Plus, here's a new look at Natalie Portman in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Sign up via MagazinesDirect and you’ll save money on the cover price, as well as getting exclusive subscriber covers like the one you can see above. Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8. But how closely will the film stick to Jason Aaron’s The Mighty Thor comics, which have had a major influence on the upcoming Marvel movie?

Jane Foster may be obtaining the powers of Thor, but that doesn't mean Chris Hemsworth's days in the MCU are numbered.

Hemsworth has kept very busy playing Thor for more than a decade, but if Waititi is to be believed, Love and Thunder may not be the end of the road for the son of Odin. Even though Jane has the hammer, director Taika Waititi recently told Total Film that she isn't necessarily taking up the mantle of Thor full-time: In Thor: Love and Thunder, Jane will possess the God of Thunder's power by wielding Mjolnir, standing side-by-side with Thor throughout the film.

Director Taika Waititi isn't ready to support the idea that Thor will be passing the torch to Jane Foster in the new film.

But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr The God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of the gods. Although, Waititi adds the caveat that he’s not entirely sure of the studio’s future plans for the character. This has led some to assume that the torch will be passed to her character, but that might not be the case.

Taika Waititi may have confirmed that Jane Foster isn't actually replacing Thor in the MCU.

It’s the idea that someone’s taking his place," Waititi said. Taika Waititi says the whole "passing on of the torch" isn't what the fourth Thor film is about. We’re trying to take the best parts of that," Waititi said.

Taika Waitit eases fans' fears by offering Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor is not going to replace Chris Hemsworth.

To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. "And also, it’s really fun, the idea that Thor [has] got Stormbreaker, that big axe, and now his hammer’s back and it’s in the hands of someone else," he added.

Director Taika Waititi thinks fans are misreading what Jane's Mighty Thor introduction in Love and Thunder means for her and Thor's MCU futures.

If Thor: Love and Thunder adheres relatively close to the source material, then Jane should have a continuing presence in the MCU, as she was a crucial part of the Secret Wars story within Marvel Comics. Although Waititi claims he does not have knowledge of any plans that Marvel Studios has for the characters, the director must be aware of the potential directions for both Thor and Jane following the end of the film that he himself wrote. In the original source material, the Nine Realms was left without a Thor as its protector, leaving it vulnerable to many enemies. The new Thor: Love and Thunder trailer sees Thor and Jane reunite after over eight years of being apart, now in roles different from their previous appearances. And also, it’s really fun, the idea that Thor [has] got Stormbreaker, that big axe, and now his hammer’s back and it’s in the hands of someone else. It’s the idea that someone’s taking his place.