Tom Hiddleston opens up about how the events of Loki season 1 ultimately led to a change in his MCU character. Following his Marvel debut in 2011's Thor, Hiddleston's God of Mischief, Loki, immediately established himself as one of the more beloved characters in the franchise. Although presented as a villain, Loki's journey has been a tumultuous one, having played a key role in some of the MCU's most pivotal storylines, including 2012's The Avengers.
Following the character's shocking demise in the opening scene of Avengers: Infinity War, many were left concerned about whether Marvel had drawn a line under Loki for good. As such, news of a continuation of the character's story through the Loki Disney+ series was incredibly well-received. Loki season 1 offered the MCU's most in-depth look at Hiddleston's character yet after he was captured by the Time Variance Authority, an organization that monitors breaches within the Sacred Timeline of the MCU. The largely successful Disney+ series saw Loki come face-to-face with a number of his own variants and offered a glimpse at a whole new side of the Marvel 'villain,' as he falls for Sylvie and learns the error of his selfish ways.
Hiddleston recently spoke to the L.A. Times and opened up about the impact that Loki season 1 had on his character. The actor discussed how the events of the series enabled Loki to confront the behaviors that led him down a dark path, with Owen Wilson's character Mobius having presented him with a number of devastating realizations. Hiddleston also said that he found it particularly exciting to explore the character in this new way. Check out Hiddleston's full quote below.
"If you take away everything that the character knows and understands, what remains? Something will be revealed to us and to Loki about who he is. This idea of him undergoing an almost psychoanalytical interrogation with the TVA’s Mobius, played by Owen Wilson, and being confronted with repetitive patterns of destructive behavior, which only resulted in his loss and loneliness, I found to be extremely exciting."
While Loki season 1's arc brought audiences up to speed with the newly established concept of the multiverse, the series also had a key focus on Loki's development as a character. It presented an almost unrecognizable version of the character during the later episodes of the series as a humbled hero figure, deeply hurt by Sylvie's betrayal after placing his trust in her. Further confirming the audience's affection for Loki, the show has since become the most-watched Marvel series on Disney+, despite a number of other massive MCU titles having been released on the platform since. With production now officially underway on Loki season 2, season 1's head writer Michael Waldron has teased that the upcoming season will continue to explore new emotional ground with Hiddleston's character.
Hiddleston's discussion of Loki's development throughout season 1 is certainly interesting, and highlights the actor's true passion for portraying Loki as more than just a typical one-dimensional villain. News that Loki season 2 will continue to tap into his character could serve as a hint that the character is not done with confronting the mistakes of his past, which could certainly lead to some interesting developments as the series progresses. For now, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for the God of Mischief as audiences still have a while to wait until Loki season 2 releases on Disney+.
Source: L.A. Times
