Taika Waititi on 'Thor 4' and Bringing Back Natalie Portman (Exclusive)
Taika Waititi is here to explain the Thors!
ET's Ash Crossan caught up with the Marvel director at Disney's D23 Expo on Friday, where he discussed juggling multiple Gods of Thunder in the upcoming film, Thor: Love and Thunder -- and Natalie Portman's new part in the franchise.
"[She's] a Thor," the 44-year-old New Zealander clarified following the film's presentation when asked about the Oscar-winning actress taking over the role. "There's still the other Thor, the original Thor [played by Chris Hemsworth]."
Waititi also clarified that "she's not called Female Thor. In the comics, she's called the Mighty Thor. …Couldn't be more happy and excited."
News that Portman will be taking a more central role in the Love and Thunder arrived at Comic-Con 2019 in San Diego in July. She'll be reprising her character from Thor and Thor: Dark World, Jane Foster, who will become the newest hammer-wielding superhero in the film.
After the announcement, producer Kevin Feige told ET that "when Taiki had this idea and pitched it to her, she was in right away."
While on hand on Friday, Waititi also discussed the role he'll be playing in Disney+'s upcoming Star Wars marquee series, The Mandalorian.
"Not IG-88 as many people have speculated," he explained, debunking a theory that he's playing a droid who appears in The Empire Strikes Back. "IG-11, who is a distant cousin of IG-88. But still a bounty hunter droid."
"Finally, IG droids have got representation on screen," he kidded. "And their story gets to be told. Because for too long they've been misunderstood and misrepresented. Robot power."
Check out the full interview above.
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