20 Different Versions Of A Key Thor: Love And Thunder Scene Were Shot, According To Natalie Portman
The latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit theaters, so of course, all anyone is talking about is "Thor: Love and Thunder." The Taika Waititi-directed continuation of the "Thor" series sees our golden, hunky god (Chris Hemsworth) searching for inner peace as he planet-hops with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but he's interrupted when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) rears his pale and terrifying head in an attempt to extinguish all gods. Fortunately, Thor Odinson doesn't have to battle alone, with Dr. Jane Foster being deemed worthy enough to wield Mjölnir and become Mighty Thor. We recently learned from Christian Bale that some of his favorite moments shot in "Thor: Love and Thunder" didn't make the final edit of the film, because Waititi confesses that he "finds his movie" during the post-production process, which gives me so much anxiety I don't know how Waititi doesn't self-combust in the edit bay.
Thanks to an interview with Natalie Portman for IndieWire, we now know it was uh ... a lot more than just some cool scenes that didn't make the cut. "There were whole sequences, planets, characters, and worlds that didn't end up in the movie that were hilarious and amazing and [that] we spent a lot of time and energy on, and certainly the entire crew also designing and conceiving," Portman said. "It's just amazing how much great material is not in the film, considering how much great material is in it."
Waititi had a lot of takes to choose from ... like, a lot
This process was completely new for Portman, who noted that in her experience it was the opposite, with filmmakers hoping they had enough good stuff to put in the final product. In the case of "Thor: Love and Thunder," Portman said, "This had overflow, so that was really surprising." Not only was there an excess in story and setting that was cut out of the final version, Waititi also shot a plethora of takes on some scenes, just to make sure they had the best shot possible. According to Portman, some of the more emotional scenes between Thor and Jane was responsible for a lot of footage.
"I don't want to spoil anything, but there are some very emotional scenes," Portman said. "We filmed 20 different versions of [one key scene]." Of course, we're not going to spoil which scene that is because we're not monsters, but it's clear that Portman, Hemsworth, and Waititi wanted to make sure the moment was perfect. "There's a few pivotal emotional scenes, but we did really, really different things, many different times," she added. This was all part of Waititi's plan, and his, as she described it, "demand for spontaneity." She continued by saying, "His requirement that every take be different and new and fresh is something I hope I get to bring into every project I work on."
"Thor: Love and Thunder" is currently in theaters.