9. Jane Foster: Aether Host
There aren't many characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe who feel quite as disposable as that of Jane Foster. Natalie Portman does her best to do whatever she can with this arbitrary Thor-love interest, but ultimately her character is pretty dull and it's hard to feel affection for somebody who has clearly exhausted her limits as a narrative tool. How has Natalie Portman, one of the best actresses in Hollywood, found herself saddled with such a generic and uninspired role on two occassions? Well, contractual obligations are tough, I guess. The writers try to do something interesting with Jane Foster this time around, but accidently end up making her more boring as a result. The plot of Thor: The Dark World hinges the "Aether," of course, which - like a symbiote of sorts - imbues its host with special powers. Jane stumbles upon this thing in the first act and ends up taking on the role of "Aether vessel" (it's hinted that it's slowly killing her). Whereas that could have made for some intriguing plot developments, Jane actually does even less as a result of her infection - she lies unconscious for most of the movie, her eyes occasionally changing colour to remind us that she's involved somehow. Many thought that Jane was going to die in this movie, and many will be disappointed to discover that she's alive and well by the time the credits roll. Well, there's always Thor 3.