'Avengers' Star Tom Hiddleston Addresses If He Will Play a Non-Male Version of Loki

One of the joys of comic books is that iconic characters can be reimagined in a number of exciting [...]

One of the joys of comic books is that iconic characters can be reimagined in a number of exciting ways, especially when a character is more of a deity than a mere mortal. Tom Hiddleston portrays Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and, given the character's nature of changing its age and gender, will be letting another performer embody the character if the narrative calls for it.

"I think, if anyone wants to tell that story, I'm not the guy," the actor admitted at ACE Comic Con when asked if he'd play a female Loki. "I think that needs to be a woman or someone who identifies as a woman."

For a majority of Loki's appearances in comic books, he appeared as male, though after the events of Ragnarök in 2004, the God of Mischief returned in a female form in 2008. Loki was once again killed in the events of Siege, briefly returning in the form of a young boy.

In the MCU, Loki has used his abilities to take the form of others or project an image of himself to places where he wasn't present, yet ultimately reverts to the form of Tom Hiddleston. Marvel Studios previously cast Tilda Swinton to portray The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, but this was a decision to make the character female instead of male as opposed to casting a woman to play a male character. The studio is often criticized for its choices in regards to representation, or lack thereof, so we doubt Hiddleston playing a female instead of casting a female-identifying performer would go over well with fans, no matter how beloved the actor is.

Loki has become one of the most popular characters in the MCU, thanks in large part to Hiddleston's performance, though the character seemingly met his demise at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. In the months since the film's release, fans have been wondering if this was merely one of Loki's tricks or if he's really gone for good.

"Listen... I've heard some amazing theories about this. I was in a park in London a couple of weeks ago, and some guys came and said hi, and they asked me the same question," Hiddleston shared with the crowd when asked if his character was really dead. "They said, 'Hey, listen, we need an answer to this question. All the other times Loki's died' — there's been a few — 'he stabs with his right hand. And now he's stabbing with his left hand.' I was like, 'That's incredible attention to detail.'"

He added, "Your guess is as good as mine."

Leaked photos from the set of Avengers 4 have shown Loki alive and well, yet it's still unclear how these isolated images could factor into the character's resilience.

Avengers 4 will land in theaters on May 3, 2019.

Are you glad Hiddleston isn't interested in playing a female version of Loki? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Facebook, ACEcomicon]

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