If you haven’t streamed the first episode of the new Loki series on Disney+, you don’t know what you’re missing (read our Loki Review). At the Global Press Conference for the new Loki series on Disney+, I had the chance to interview the cast and creative team behind the new show and learn some Fun Facts about Loki on Disney+as well as ask Tom Hiddleston some questions about Loki:
- Kevin Feige (Producer, President of Marvel Studios, and Chief Creative Officer of Marvel)
- Michael Waldron (Creator, Head Writer, and Executive Producer)
- Kate Herron (Director and Executive Producer)
- Wunmi Mosaku (“Hunter B-15”)
- Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Judge Ravonna Renslayer”)
- Owen Wilson (“Agent Mobius M. Mobius”)
- Tom Hiddleston (“Loki” and Executive Producer)
Oh, and when I say ask Tom questions, I mean really ask Tom questions. At all of these (since we’re virtual these days) instead of raising your hand and hoping you get called on, you put your question in the chat function and the moderator may or may not choose it. If they do, then they may or may not read your name/outlet or combine it with others if it’s similar to several outlets’ submissions. But this day, one of mine was chosen and read with my name and outlet, so I won’t deny the fact that I was a little giddy that Tom was answering my question and basically talking to me. I mean, it’s Hiddles. He’s an adorable British Tom.
But I digress. Here are the details you really came for. Happy reading.
Tom Hiddleston interview
Tom Hiddleston Never Thought He’d Play Loki Again
After Avengers: Infinity War, no one knew for sure if there would be a Loki again
During our interview, Kevin Feige was asked about his intent for Loki. When did he know he was going to have him as the titular character of his own series? Did he know where he was going or when he would show up after Endgame?
Kevin Feige: I think we did not know it when we shot Infinity War. But I think we did know it when we shot Endgame is my recollection of it.
What that meant and where that specifically would go, we didn’t know. But one of my favorite things coming out of Endgame was people saying, that we forget to tie up the loose end of Loki. Loki just disappears and we forgot to mention what happens to him at the end of that movie.
And, at that point, we did know that there was Disney+ coming and the show coming. It became very exciting to make people wait until we figured out what the show would be.
and Tom thought the same thing
Tom Hiddleston: …that scene in Avengers: Infinity War had felt so final. Had felt so conclusive, as the end of Loki’s story.
And are we Loki, God of Mischief, fans glad that it wasn’t the end of his story?
Even though he thought it was the end of the road for Loki, Tom was excited to bring Loki back to life
Tom Hiddleston: I was so excited by the idea, and also, I had to scratch my head because that scene in Avengers: Infinity War had felt so final … but I knew that Avengers: Endgame was coming around the corner. And, in that scene in that film, Loki picks up the Tesseract and disappears in a puff of smoke. And where does he go? When does he go? How does he get there? And Kevin and Louis D’Esposito and Victoria Alonso all reassured me that that would be the starting point of the series. And there were so many places we could go. So many possibilities to think about. And everybody that you can see … jumped on and had so many brilliant ideas and created this new show, which I think is really exciting. And I’m happy to be doing it.
The GLORIOUS part of the interview where the moderator asked my question and Tom spoke only to me (shhhh, let me have my moment):
Jana Seitzer of Whisky + Sunshine has this question for Tom:
Loki has always seemed to be a bit of a misunderstood villain. What do you hope the audience will take away from the extended story of Loki and his opportunity for growth in this series?
Tom Hiddleston: That’s a great question. What I love about the series is Loki is stripped of everything that’s familiar to him. Thor is not close by. Asgard seems some distance away. The Avengers—for the time—aren’t in sight. He’s stripped of his status and his power.
And, if you take all those things that Loki has used to identify himself over the last 6 movies, what remains of Loki? Who is he within or outside all of those things? And I think those questions became, for all of us, really fascinating to ask. What makes Loki Loki? And, if there is something authentic or, something that the center of him, is he capable of growth? Is he capable of change? Do his experiences within the TVA give him any insight into who he might be? This mercurial shapeshifter who never presents the same exterior twice?
I hope the audience gets a kick out of where we take it.
(L-R): Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) in Marvel Studios’ LOKI, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Tom Hiddleston truly loves playing Loki. Tom is Loki, and Loki is Tom.
Tom Hiddleston: I just love playing the character. I always have. And I feel so fortunate that I’m still here, and that there are still new aspects to the character every time that I learn about.
I think he’s a character of huge range. So it never feels like the same experience. And particularly this time around. I’m surrounded by these amazing people, truly. It’s not something that is lost on me, all my conversations with Kevin and Kate and Michael and my interactions with Owen and Gugu and Wunmi, like we just have a really good time.
I think because of Loki’s complexity, maybe, every time he’s in a new dynamic, new stuff emerges. I just amazed, like this is a comedy? [LAUGHING] Loki will be quite surprised by that. I’m kidding, I’m kidding.
(L-R): (Mobius) Owen Wilson and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in Marvel Studios’ LOKI exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
How by sharing his massive wealth of Marvel CInematic Universe knowledge, Tom unknowing developed the “Loki Lectures”
Tom Hiddleston: It was such an interesting time trying to compress the experience of my time in the MCU and 6 movies. And, Mobius is an expert in Loki. He knows more about Loki than Loki does.
So I was trying to help Owen with some of the memories and about my experience. And Owen asked such insightful, intelligent questions that made me rethink various aspects of the character. And I think our conversations found their way into the scenes themselves, which is really nice because they’re quite intense conversations.
We used to talk about it feeling a bit like a play. And I think at one point Owen was like, “Does this kind of feel a bit like a play?” I think maybe there was a germ of an idea that’s settled in Owen’s mind that a theatrical experience might be coming around the corner. I don’t know, he might want to talk about that. [LAUGHING]
(L-R): Director Kate Herron, Tom Hiddleston, and Owen Wilson on the set of Marvel Studios’ LOKI, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Tom hopes you see the varying aspects of Loki as the show develops
Tom and Kate were sharing how the Loki Lectures came to be. Tom mentioned people were curious about so many different decisions that had been made by everybody who had been the inspiration for what had come before with Loki and contributions to his character, costume changes, adaptations to his choreography, or changes in the kind of dramatic arc. Loki has layers. Lots and lots of layers yet to be unraveled and discovered.
Tom Hiddleston: I hope that when the show unfolds, the precision about these different aspects of Loki might become clearer…People wanted to know about the horns. I do remember that. There was a question of when does Loki wear the horns? Why does he wear them? Is it a ceremonial thing? Or are they somehow an extension of some emotional intention that he’s particularly malevolent at those times? And it was kind of interesting to be asked these questions from outside the experience. All will become clear in time.
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in Marvel Studios’ LOKI exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
What has surprised Tom the most about Loki’s incredible fan base
Tom Hiddleston: There’s no question that the reason I am allowed to continue to play him, is because he clearly means so much to so many people and for so many different reasons. And that is incredibly gratifying for me. I see that as a big honor. I think over time, I’ve been made aware of the different things that he represents for people.
Some people enjoy his playfulness and his spontaneity and that inherent sense of mischief that he has. Some people enjoy his quality as an antagonist. Some people probably can’t stand him. I don’t know. But I know there are some people who are drawn to his vulnerability—underneath all those layers of charm and charisma and playfulness is a kind of vulnerability, I suppose.
A sense of some very relatable human thing about being vulnerable. And I owe that to the writers, actually. I owe that to everybody who’s ever written this character. Everyone who’s written the character in the comic books. Obviously starting with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, going all the way through J. Michael Straczynski to Daniel Kibblesmith. I owe it to Don Payne, who wrote the first Thor movie—did the most extraordinary job—made Loki a character with such pathos.
And from Don all the way to Michael and his amazing team, Eric Martin and Bisha K. Ali and Elissa Karasik and Tom Coffin, all those guys who put their heads together to think about this character. So yeah, I just feel it’s a huge honor.
Loki is streaming now on Disney+.
CHECK OUT THE REST OF OUR LOKI COVERAGE HERE.
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