- Natalie Portman, 40, stars as Thor in the upcoming movie Thor: Love And Thunder.
- Fans were stunned by her transformation in the film's trailer.
- Here's exactly how Natalie trained for the role, including her thoughts on what it's like to "feel strong."
Natalie Portman is making her return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a huge way. The actress, 40, will star as Thor in the upcoming film Thor: Love And Thunder. And, the new trailer (which dropped today) has fans on Twitter reeling:
"I can’t wait to see Natalie Portman steal the show as Mighty Thor! Jane Foster is BACK! 🙌🙌," one user wrote. "Good morning to Natalie Portman’s arms and Natalie Portman’s arms only," someone else chimed in—and TBH, it's true.
Natalie makes major waves in the trailer, but her toned arms totally steal the show. Here's the clip, for reference:
So, just how did Natalie sculpt her upper bod for this new role? Turns out, weights were key.
"It was really fun. I worked with a trainer, Naomi Pendergast, for, I think it was, four months before shooting, and then obviously all the way through filming," Natalie told Vanity Fair.
"We did a lot of weight training and a lot of protein shakes—heavyweight training that I haven’t ever done before. Of course, I’ve never really aimed to get bulky," she added. "It was very physical, so it was a lot of both agility work and also strength work."
And, it wasn't easy. The actress also shared that, at first, she had some trouble adjusting to the new, intense routine. ""I’ve had like months of pandemic, eating baked goods and laying in bed and feeling sorry for myself. I’m, like, super tired after working out. And during. And dreading before," she explained on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
But in the end, it was worth it. "It definitely helps you get into character, and it’s definitely changed the way I move. You walk differently; you feel different. I mean, it’s so wild to feel strong for the first time in my life," Natalie told Vanity Fair.
Natalie is no stranger to physically demanding roles (Black Swan, anyone?). But weight training was a little different from her usual workout routine. Usually, Natalie goes for an hour-long run three times a week, according to Women's Health UK.
She's also a fan of gyrotonics, although she'll try anything yoga-related. "I used to do Ashtanga, but now I’ll just get there and I’ll try anything," she said. "Whatever class is [on] at the right time."
When it comes to food, Natalie has stuck to a vegan diet for years. "I'm vegan, and a lot of people think we're eating alfalfa, so I like showing that there's really delicious, varied, easy things that you can do at home that your kids will eat that are plant-based. And I've been lucky enough to learn a lot of other people I admire a lot," she told Jimmy Fallon.
The actress also used to post vegan cooking videos on Instagram from time to time. "I don't really have a lot of skill, so I always feel like if I can do it, anyone can do it," she said. "I've gotten so many great recipes from Instagram from other people that I follow. And it's definitely easier that we're cooking every meal pretty much."
Goddess of thunder, move over—the goddess of vegan cooking is here to stay.
