10 Worst Ways Marvel Studios Wasted Great Actors

By Connor Briggs-Morris /

1. Natalie Portman Is Thor€™s Girlfriend (Thor)

It€™s hard to believe that the captivating star of Black Swan and V For Vendetta somehow got pigeonholed into the role of Thor€™s girlfriend. Portman is an incredible actress and yet somehow she was given absolutely nothing to do in not one, but two different movies. Ostensibly Jane Foster is supposed to be a brilliant scientist but she spends most of her time staring doe-eyed at Thor. Rather than be his equal or have her own compelling story, she exists solely to boost up Thor and serve as a scientific plot device. It's mind-boggling how someone as good as Portman does not get a more nuanced or meaningful arc but apparently there was no real desire for a strong performance from her. Part of this lacklustre role stems from the fact that Portman simply doesn€™t want to be there. It€™s pretty clear she€™s doing this for the money and wanted out of the sequel when they let director Patty Jenkins go. So while she€™s partially to blame for the lack of investment, it€™s pretty clear that even if she was engaged, there would have been no way for her to showcase it with such a shallow character. Are you still mad at Marvel for wasting these talents? Who do you think got the worst of it? Let us know in the comments.