Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is without a doubt the most recognizable and popular villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s rogues gallery. The actor has been playing the God of Mischief for almost a decade now, appearing in six movies as either a friend or enemy, or a little bit of both, to his brother Thor.
There’s no denying that Loki is a huge fan favorite, so much so that many people were devastated when he was seemingly killed off for good in the opening scene of Avengers: Infinity War. However, Marvel aren’t ones to leave a marketable character by the wayside, even in death, and thanks to the time-traveling antics of Endgame, the character is set to headline his own series on Disney Plus.
Loki has been the English actor’s career-defining role, but as many people know, Hiddleston originally auditioned for the title part in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor before being awarded the role of chief antagonist. And on a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the host actually played footage from Hiddleston’s original audition, and he admitted that the best man won the race to headline the MCU’s first Asgardian blockbuster.
“Basically, at the time, they were looking for less well-established actors, so that the audience didn’t have an association. They just wanted people to see these new characters, these new actors. If you were over six foot and you’ve got blonde hair, you can come and have a pop at it. I actually never auditioned for Loki, I only ever auditioned for Thor, which is nuts… I think we can all agree, they cast the right actor.”
It worked out well in the end for both Hiddleston and eventual co-star Chris Hemsworth, with the two becoming integral parts in what would quickly go on to become the biggest franchise in the history of cinema. It may have seemed like Loki‘s time in the MCU was coming to an end, but Disney Plus has breathed new life into many of the superhero series’ supporting characters, and there’s no doubt that audiences will be tuning in eagerly to see what new adventures the trickster will be getting himself into when the show drops on Disney Plus in 2021.
