Natalie Portman's 'Swole' Appearance Thrills Fans as 'Thor' Role Announced

Natalie Portman's decision to portray Mighty Thor in the upcoming movie Thor: Love and Thunder has won praise from fans—and it's for her muscular appearance rather than her widely lauded acting.

The Oscar-winning actress, 40, was arguably one of the most highly anticipated reveals when the trailer for the Marvel movie was officially unveiled on Monday.

It was announced at San Diego Comic Con in July 2019 that Portman would be taking on Thor's hammer in the new film, and the teaser trailer gave fans their first look at her character Jane Foster with Mjolnir (the mythical hammer of the thunder god Thor).

And while the trailer has excited fans awaiting the movie's July 8 release, her buff appearance has become a talking point on social media, where her "swole" look has received gushing praise.

A photo of the star sporting a purple T-shirt, allowing her enviably toned arms to take center stage, has been shared on Reddit under the title, "Natalie Portman got pretty swole for her Thor role."

"I won't lie I think this is the first time I've seen a superhero movie leading lady pack on muscle for a role," one Reddit user said. "Granted I only have like 2 other examples in mind.

"Gal Gadot didn't really do that for the role and from memory Brie Larson was just relatively fit looking. Portman here been pumping some good iron."

"I can't wait for the day we gets truly jacked female lead," wrote another. "Like CrossFit games level jacked. Normalize strong/buff women, [they're] awesome."

"Genuinely thought it was CGI when I saw it in the trailer," another admitted. "Being able to get that buff so quickly is seriously impressive."

Meanwhile, she was also celebrated on a vegan fitness Reddit channel for gaining muscle as a reported vegan, with one fan writing: "Wow she's looking strong! Considering she's been very slim in most of her roles, this is so cool to see."

The recently released trailer for the God of Thunder's fourth solo film is set in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, where Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is trying to find himself again as he travels with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

As Portman's character Jane Foster appears onscreen, the cracked hammer is seen being drawn to her hand as she appears to face off against Thor in battle. Fans may recognize that the damage to the weapon was a result of Thor's sister Hela breaking it in Thor: Ragnarok.

Whether Foster's iteration of Thor is the character from earlier films—or a variant from an alternate timeline who arrived after the multiverse was opened—is yet to be determined.

Portman has reprised her role as Jane almost a decade after she last appeared in 2013's Thor: The Dark World.