Published By: Sayan Paul

Happy Birthday, Tom Hiddleston: The 'Loki' Actor Actually Wanted To Play Thor In 'MCU'

The English actor plays Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the Disney+ series 'Loki'. 

"Playing Loki has changed the course of my whole life." - Tom Hiddleston. 

Tom Hiddleston plays Loki in such a way - with a perfect balance of charm and mischief - that it becomes both lovable and infuriating at the same time. In the actor's words, "It is the most magnificent and emotional roller coaster for the twists and turns. He has so much range and so much complexity, it never feels like I’m playing the same thing." Well, he depicts the various shades of Loki brilliantly - and that's exactly what makes his performance stand out, and his character so iconic. For us, he is the "God of Mischief" - we cannot even imagine anyone else as the character. 

Before Loki happened to him, Hiddleston was a lesser-known actor in British films and television. With 'Thor' in 2011 - his first appearance as Loki - he emerged as an overnight sensation and went on to rule the hearts of millions. He became so popular that filmmakers were forced to bring him back again and again in the MCU, and later create a whole series titled 'Loki'. 

 

(Credit: twhiddleston)

But hold on, can you believe that the actor actually didn't want to play Loki, and instead auditioned for Thor? Today, on the actor's 44th birthday, let's learn about that. 

Tom Hiddleston Wanted To Play Thor

When Marvel Studios was auditioning for new actors for the superhero characters in MCU, Tom Hiddleston decided to go for the character of Thor. In fact, he trained rigorously for the role and did a screen test with blonde hair and Mjolnir (Thor's hammer). 

As the actor shared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, "I auditioned for the first Thor film 10 years ago in 2009. “And I just thought I was auditioning for a movie. You know, an interesting part of an interesting movie. Back then, the Marvel Universe was — they’d just made Iron Man. And I thought, ‘I’ll have a go.’ I didn’t expect to be cast at all."

 

(Credit: Alex C Vick)

"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. And the agreement was if you’re over six-foot and you’ve got blond hair you can come and have a pop at it.” He added, “I never auditioned for Loki. I only ever auditioned for Thor."

But Why Marvel Cast Him As Loki? 

While Hiddleston wanted to play Thor, Marvel realized that he would be better for the part of Loki. As Kenneth Branagh, who directed him in the first 'Thor' film, shared in an interview, "Tom gave you an impression that he could be ready for anything, performance-wise. Tom has a wild imagination, and so does Loki. He’s got a mischievous sense of humor and he was ready to play. It felt like he had a star personality, but he was a team player."

 

(Credit: Hiddlesfan Club)

So that's how Hiddleston became Loki. And Thor was played by Chris Hemsworth. 

Happy Birthday, Mr. "That Bad Guy From MCU". Best Wishes For All Your Upcoming Endeavors!