In a recent interview with IndieWire Natalie Portman discusses her role in Thor: Love and Thunder as well as her experience on set. Portman plays Dr. Jane Foster, a character that has already been acclaimed by fans and critics. The actress shared her unique interaction with director Taika Waititi whose intention was to film multiple versions of scenes which varied in content and delivery. Unlike other productions which aim to find scenes that are good enough to be included in the film, Waititi produced an “overflow” of great material that can be even used to create a spinoff.

Despite her experience in the industry, Portman found Waititi’s approach to filmmaking “really surprising.” She shared that Waititi, the cast, and the crew were free to make significant changes, including ones related to the plot, and thus capture a single moment through various perspectives.

Some of the more emotional scenes between Jane and Thor, for instance, were shot many times and there was one key scene in particular that had 20 different versions. Such an abundance of ideas and takes offered a wide array of choices, but it also meant that a lot of excellent material would be left out of the final product. According to the actress, the cuts reveal the close relationship between Jane and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) that is not as present in the film and she would be excited to see more interplay between the two female characters in the future.

Portman stated that she was delighted by Waititi’s “ability to flow with ideas” and “demand for spontaneity,” hoping that she can bring this style into her work.

Thor: Love and Thunder is released by Disney on July 8.