Marvel star Tom Hiddleston reveals his unusual inspiration for Loki was Superman

Tom Hiddleston has played Marvel’s God of Mischief Loki since he was 28 years old in countless MCU films and shows. 

However, the actor has now shared he initially found it tricky to get into character for his first audition, until he found some unusual inspiration in another superhero: Christopher Reeve’s Superman. He starred in Richard Donner’s 1978 blockbuster and its subsequent sequels. 

"I remember thinking, ‘This is almost Shakespearean, this language," Hiddleston tells Backstage. "What’s the best example I can [look to] of an actor who managed to humanize and make real this elevated world of myth?"

He landed on Reeve’s Man of Steel, adding: "He’s masterful in that film. In a way, it’s a similar premise: He’s a god or he’s a being from a different realm, and it’s not naturalistic in the way that we might expect. He does it so truthfully, and it’s so clear and clean and open and honest. I thought, 'If I can even approximate or get close to the kind of clarity that Christopher Reeve had in those films, I’ll be lucky.'"

Hiddleston has been reflecting on playing the MCU villain turned hero ever since the final episode of Loki season 2 aired. The Disney Plus show ended his redemption arc as he made the ultimate sacrifice to become the keeper of the timelines. Taking over from He Who Remains, he arranges the threads into Yggdrasil and becomes their guardian at the End of Time. 

It’s not yet clear if this will be Hiddleston’s swansong in the role, but he’s not ruling out a return. Speaking to Backstage he was "non-committal" about if this is the end of the line, while he previously teased he could one day return to the role. 

In the meantime, we’ve got plenty more on the horizon for Marvel Phase 5 and Marvel Phase 6. Next up is Deadpool 3, before we get into more upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows later in 2024.