PHOTOS Natalie Portman as Jane Foster in ‘Thor’

Thor or Portman? Portman or Thor? What am I most excited about as May 6th draws near? How about both Thor AND Natalie Portman? (Natalie Thortman?)

One of Hollywood’s sexiest actresses (who also has all of a sudden one of its hottest careers) has really been knocking it out of the park of late with a string of box-office hits – including the smash romcom No Strings Attached (that succeeded despite the presence of Ashton Kutcher in the credits) and the sure-to-be-Academy-Award-laden Black Swan. It’s enough to make up for all those Star Wars stinkers she lent her name to! (Almost!)

But this May’s Thor, Marvel’s cinematic unveiling of the Norse God of Thunder that’s been a part of their stable of heroes since 1962, will surely seal the deal for Natalie’s early domination of this new decade of film. Marvel’s been releasing stills from the film for a few months now, but they’ve been stingy on the Natalie front. No more! They’ve released two new images that, for the first time, give us a good look at Natalie’s presence alongside Christopher Hemsworth (who couldn’t look more like the Mighty Thor if art legend Walter Simonson had drawn him!)

Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster, who in Thor comics lore began as a nurse assistant to the god’s mortal alter ego, Dr. Don Blake. Over the years, their working relationship turned into a torrid romance that led Jane Foster to Asgard and back. Jane Foster’s coping with trials of loving an immortal was a staple of Thor storytelling for decades. There’s no clear indication of where the movie will take that relationship, at least in its first installment, nor how Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will stack up against Jaimie Alexander’s Sif, Thor’s Asgardian brunette of choice. But that’s why we’re gonna be plunking down our ten bucks plus…to find out!

I’ve been a loyal fan of Ms. Portman’s, whether she’s an ingenue assassin with unhealthy daddy issues, an unwed pregnant teen taking up residency in a Wal-Mart, or a lesbian ballerina with murder on her mind. I’ve even seen all those Star War movies and didn’t break out in sweats when I saw her share billing with Mr. Punk’d himself. So now that she’s in a movie starring one of my favorite comic book heroes? I’m so there!

And just in case the pictures weren’t enough, Marvel has been kind enough to provide a brand new trailer that features more of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster:

Photos: Marvel.com