Tom Hiddleston Says He’s a “Temporary Torchbearer” in Loki Role

Who would’ve thought that Loki would be one of the longest-running characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? One of the first (and most popular) villains in the franchise, Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief is still actively involved in new stories more than a decade after first joining the MCU. While his longtime scene partner Chris Hemsworth readies a new Thor movie, Hiddleston is preparing to head into his second season of Marvel’s Loki on Disney+. While it may seem to us that his tenure as Loki is a permanent thing, Hiddleston doesn’t necessarily see it that way.

To Hiddleston, Loki is a character much bigger than his role in the MCU. Like other comic or literary characters, Loki has the potential to played by several different actors or actresses in any number of franchises. We’ve already seen variants of Marvel’s Loki be portrayed by people of all genders, races, and ages (not to mention an alligator). This is a character that will likely continue long after Hiddleston hangs up his horns.

“I’m a temporary torchbearer,” Hiddleston during a Royal Television Society event on Wednesday (per Variety). “I’ve always thought that. It’s a great role. It’s an archetype, the trickster god, the agent of chaos. I’m just here interpreting that for the time being. Loki has been here for centuries and will be here for centuries more and I’m just stepping into that silhouette for now.”

There were several points throughout the MCU that felt like they could be a good place for Hiddleston’s Loki to exit the story. This is especially true of Avengers: Infinity War, which saw Loki die at the hands of Thanos. But a space-traveling square and the Time Variance Authority breathed fresh new life into the decade-old character.

“This idea of somehow the [Time Variance Authority] confronting Loki with the shape-shifting nature of his identity and asking him ‘Who are you?’ I found it a new avenue to explore with this character I’ve been playing for a while,” Hiddleston explained. “It felt original. It didn’t feel like we were repeating.”

Loki is the only Marvel Studios TV show to be renewed so far, which means that this current iteration of the character still has some life left.

The first season of Loki is available to stream on Disney+.