10 Major Movie Characters Given Nothing To Do In The Sequel

Among the many, many creative missteps in the second Thor movie is quite literally reducing Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) to a plot device.

Jane's entire arc throughout the movie consists of becoming infected with the Aether, which threatens to kill her, being hunted by villain Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), and then pressing a few buttons during the final battle.

Oh, and going on a date with Chris O'Dowd, if you even remember that.

In fairness, Jane wasn't exactly a great fixture in the original Thor, but at least she had something resembling agency and played a distinct role in the story.

Here, though, she felt less a person than a piece of furniture, being literally combined with the movie's MacGuffin in case the point hadn't yet been made clearly enough.

Portman, who was already reportedly reluctant to appear in the film following the departure of original director Patty Jenkins, seemed to be done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe after this, though finally got her fair due as Mighty Thor in last year's fourth Thor movie, Thor: Love and Thunder.