Loki: Tom Hiddleston Reflects on Playing the MCU’s God of Mischief

Loki actor Tom Hiddleston recently opened up about his time playing the God of Mischief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, noting how it changed his life for the better.

“I’ve absolutely loved playing Loki; it’s been 15 years, and it is the most magnificent and emotional roller coaster for the twists and turns,” Hiddleston said during the Loki panel at Deadline‘s Contenders TV event. “He has so much range and so much complexity, it never feels like [I’m playing] the same thing. But I know the reason I’m standing here in front of you today is that the audience has such curiosity and passion for and a connection to him.” He added, “Playing Loki has changed the course of my whole life, no question.”

Tom Hiddleston says grief drove Loki to villainy

The actor also shared during the panel that he never viewed the God of Mischief as an outright villain during his 12-year tenure as the character. “I feel so proud of where we’ve ended up in Season 2. It was very creatively fulfilling to bring something full circle. I always saw him from the very first film as a broken soul with a shattered heart who felt like he didn’t belong … all that grief hardens into grievance,” he explained.

He continued, “That’s what binds him to Sylvie. And the grievance is what drives him to become a villain in the Avengers and the Thor movies, and this second chance that he’s given by Mobius to rediscover that glorious purpose that he feels he’s always been burdened with … it comes in a shape he would have never recognized and would never have anticipated. And it gave him a kind of catharsis that he wasn’t ready for.”

What’s next for the God of Mischief?

Loki Season 2 ended with the title character saving the various timelines and becoming the new overseer of the MCU multiverse. While this new role for the character has led some fans to theorize that Loki could appear in Deadpool & Wolverine (since it also delves into the multiverse), Hiddleston has coyly stated that he doesn’t know if he’s in the movie “and if I did… I might not be allowed to tell you.” However, during Contenders TV’s Loki panel, the actor stated that he had “no idea” what Marvel Studios had planned for the fan-favorite character.

Both seasons of Loki are available to stream on Disney+.