Actress Natalie Portman has thanked Kenneth Branagh for her role in Thor - she only took on the part because he's in the director's chair.

The Hollywood star will play female lead Jane Foster in the upcoming Marvel Comics film alongside Anthony Hopkins and Idris Elba.

However, Portman was all set to turn down an audition for the role - until she realized Branagh would be helming the project.

She tells Total Film, "It was actually not something I was dying to do. Not Thor in particular, but a big movie. When I heard Ken was doing it, I said, 'Wow that is a daring and interesting idea.' Then I met Ken and he was someone I was extremely interested to get to spend three months with. It was probably the first, or one of the first times that my expectations were actually exceeded."

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