10 Movie Characters Cut From Sequels (In The Worst Way)

2. Jane Foster - Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Back in the first two Thor films, Jane Foster was a big deal - to the point that she was infected by an Infinity Stone and should probably have returned for Infinity War. Sadly, though, she didn't make it beyond Thor: The Dark World.

Why She Was Written Out

Ahead of Avengers: Infinity War and Thor: Ragnarok, Foster's absence was explained by the fact that most of Thor's scenes were set away from Earth, but rumours persist that Natalie Portman left after Thor: The Dark World.

According to THR, Marvel Studios dismissing Patty Jenkins upset Portman to the point of her wanting to leave the project too, but she stayed through contractual obligation only. She had only turned on her initial desire to leave acting to concentrate on her young son because of Jenkins' hire, and it left her with a bitter taste. Allegedly, that's why she didn't return, though at the time she put it down to a simple story reason:

“I don’t think I would fit in very well. They are all superheroes. (laughs) […] They haven’t asked me, so we will see.”

How She Was Written Out

Natalie Portman has had the inauspicious honour of being written out of TWO movies after she was sent away for The Avengers. In the follow-up, she was dealt with rather less carefully, with a throw-away conversation involving Thor mentioning the fact that he and Jane had "mutually dumped" one another.

She didn't even get an opportunity to tell her own exit story.