Tom Hiddleston is the driving force behind Loki, the antihero of the Thor universe who also happens to be Thor’s (played by Chris Hemsworth) adoptive brother. With Thor: Ragnarok  opening today, here’s a chat with Hiddleston on being Loki… 

How much were you looking forward to playing Loki?

I was looking forward to seeing Chris Hemsworth again and Anthony Hopkins and lots of familiar faces, in front of and behind the camera, and just being in this world. I knew there were going to be things that felt familiar, but, of course, it’s a new story. It’s a new director, and I am four years older.

Every time I play Loki, the challenge is to find new ways of playing him. It is a source of constant surprise to me that I’m still here. I never expected that when I started playing him. I feel a huge responsibility to deliver the character people know, even though it’s been four years since I’ve played him, and also to try to take him in new directions.

Loki is such a mercurial character. I’ve spent six or seven years of my life trying to get to the bottom of what exactly it is that he wants. When he seems to get close to what he wants — power, acceptance, belonging — he changes direction. I think that is the thing that keeps him interesting in a way. He’s cunning and transformative and changeable, and will do everything he can to survive. He’s the trickster… he’s the god of mischief. When I put on the costume and the make-up and wig for the first time for this film and looked in the mirror, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, there he is’. It was like seeing an old friend. It was good to see him… I feel like I know him.  

How has the relationship between Thor and Loki evolved?

For Thor and Loki, the stakes are so high in this story. All of the things that have anchored them to their own reality are gone. They are completely out of their depth, out of their element. I like the idea that Thor and Loki, the protagonist and the antagonist, these eternally warring brothers, are thrown into hot water together and have to somehow overcome their differences, or at least acknowledge their differences, to try to save Asgard.

Thor (2011) is about a father and two sons. Thor: The Dark World (2013) is about a mother and two sons, and Ragnarok is about siblings. 

Has this been the most physical for you?

Ragnarok will end up being the most demonstrably physical. Oddly enough, though, (The) Avengers (2012) was very physical in a way that I don’t think you can see. Loki loses a lot of fights in that film and often when you’re playing the character who is losing, there’s a lot of throwing yourself against a wall or throwing yourself to the floor. And the costume was fairly heavy back then. The stamina required to keep that going on Avengers was substantial. But this has felt like that as well. But I loved the fact that Loki gets to step into his capability with a pair of blades. 

Do comic books still serve as inspiration or does the script?

I love seeing the visuals in the comic books. They remind me of the larger-than-life space that these characters occupy, and the scale of performance required to match that. I read a lot of comics before I started the first time. But because the character, as I play him, has slightly diverted from the comic book character, I’ve read them less than before. I didn’t want to read too much because I wanted Loki to be as surprised by it as I was. Then the script inspired so many ideas as well.  

What are some of your new costumes?

Loki has several very different looks in this film but I don’t want to give them away as they go with story points, but there is a look that Loki wears, which is very similar to what he wears in other films, but with a different colour scheme. People have become familiar with Loki’s black and green leather, or black and green with a slightly burnished gold. And suddenly, now, he’s wearing blue and purple leather, with a yellow cape, which gets discarded as he starts to become more dynamic. Taika (Waititi, the director) called it “Biker Loki.” It’s just so different. It’s got purple sleeves, blue forearm plates and a blue and purple leather tunic. 

How does the physical environment help you bring Loki to life?

I’m constantly amazed and feel really grateful that we are still allowed to shoot on practical sets because we know now that the industry has developed the technology to recreate the worlds of motion pictures in an exclusively digital environment. You surround actors with a cyclorama of blue screen or green screen and ask them to call upon their powers of imagination. But when you have the sets we’ve had, it makes it so much easier. It helps to understand the tone. It helps to understand exactly where I am in terms of what I have to deliver. Actors do their best work when you have two actors sharing a space and they both know the space they’re in. I’ve certainly found that on this film.

How was it working with Jeff Goldblum?

I found his professionalism extraordinary. We talked about his journey as an actor. His preparation is immaculate. He arrives understanding exactly what the story is and exactly what the scene requires. But then he’s so completely free. Taika would roll the camera and Jeff would find consistently new ways of doing new things. Jeff gives a very exciting performance. I think people are going to love him.

Do you share any scenes with Mark Ruffalo?

There’s a fun scene where (Bruce) Banner (aka The Hulk, played by Ruffalo) and Loki meet again, but for the first time (in the Thor universe). Banner is freaked out by the presence of Loki, because the last time Banner saw Loki everything went south very quickly. So there’s an interesting dynamic between them.

Mark and I have been friends for a while. But he just finds me slightly disturbing as Loki and can’t look me in the eye. But I watched what Mark did as Banner… he reinvented Banner and he reinvented the Hulk. His ebullience and playfulness is what people really get a kick out of. 

How was it reuniting with Chris Hemsworth?

Chris and I have been on this journey together for seven or eight years. It’s very different from any working relationship I’ve ever had with another actor. We’ve been able to share changes in our lives over the years, and at the same time as playing two characters who are brothers. We know each other so well and I think in a way that enhances everything about that relationship.

We have a shorthand now.  Sometimes we don’t have to discuss the dynamic. It’s just there. I’ve loved working with him on the Thor films. It’s fun and free, and he makes me laugh.

We heard you guys had a lot of fun with Taika on set?

A day on the set with Taika Waititi will without question feature David Bowie at some point in the day.  It may feature some Fleetwood Mac. It may feature some Michael Jackson. The reason I mention the music is because it gives you a sense of how playful he is. Taika is such an extraordinary engine of energy. He’s constantly playing with a moment, and he keeps it so light.

The best creative work is enabled by an atmosphere of “anything is possible” and freedom. Some people think that creativity comes from constraint. And I think Taika understands, and I agree with him, that the best creative impulse is explored through an idea of complete freedom. When you come on set you should try to have as much fun as possible. So he plays music all the time. He dances. He’s immaculately turned out. But, I hasten to add, he’s serious about the work. He’s always trying to find the best version of the scene. 

Chris Hemsworth picks up the hammer once more to play Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, the third film in the franchise. With the first two films (Thor and Thor: The Dark World cumulatively collecting in excess of $1,000 at the box office), Thor: Ragnarok promises to be one of the biggies this year. A chat with Hemsworth... 

How do you perceive Thor after playing him for so long?

I’ve been playing Thor for seven years now, which on one hand, seems like a lifetime but also seems like yesterday that we were shooting the first film. The first film (Thor, 2011) was so much fun because it was one of my first big jobs.

This film, in particular, is the biggest character shift and a gear shift, tonally, in the storytelling, so that affects my approach. That was all birthed through Taika’s (Waititi, the director) vision and his sense of humour, his attitude and his need for exploration. Kevin Feige and the team at Marvel wanted to see where we could take it, and it’s been one of the most exciting and fun sets I’ve ever been on.

Where do we find Thor in this story?

At the beginning, we find Thor in a bit of a journey of self-discovery. He’s from Asgard but turned down being king and lived on earth. But still he’s not from earth, so he doesn’t quite fit in there. So, he’s off searching for answers. On his way, he discovers all sorts of chaos throughout the realms and villains that have been unleashed. And no one’s stopping them, so he returns home to ask his father (Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins) what’s going on and why the fires are not being put out. As we know from the last film (Thor: The Dark World, 2013), his father may not be his father. It may be Loki (Tom Hiddleston) doing some sort of illusion. So we have some fun with that and then it really kicks off from there into the rest of the story.

What is Thor’s physical transformation here?

There are a few physical changes. The first one is that he loses his hair. He’s in a gladiator world where part of their processing is to chop the hair off, which happens off-screen. And he turns up with his hair hacked off. Different costumes, different weapons, different cast of characters to work off give you a different energy. And so, as simple as having a different haircut can affect the way you move.

Then he also loses his hammer. It’s destroyed by Hela (Cate Blanchett), the villain in this film. That forces him to question everything in existence, his strength and his past and sends him again on a different journey. It’s about stripping him back physically, but also emotionally, in order to rebuild him in some way.

Does losing his hair and hammer affect his strength?

Initially, Thor thinks it’s going to affect his power. It’s that classic idea that the power is really within you. The hammer was just something that orchestrated it.

Does Thor have a new costume?

Thor does have new costumes in this. There’s more of a historical influence, more so than the futuristic kind of nod that the previous films had. There’s this gladiator-style leather costume that is shaped to the body with an incredible amount of detail. 

Any difference in your training for this?

I probably did more fight scenes and stunts in this than other films. There was just a lot more going on… a lot more action and different weapons, which was great because you’re fairly limited by how the hammer can move. We had swords and all sorts of laser guns and different bits and pieces. The actual physical training was similar to the previous times. You have to eat a lot of the right food and train a lot. It’s a few hours a day in the gym.

What does Thor encounter in this film?

He’s from a world where he is, by far, the most able and powerful character. He then is thrust into the planet Sakaar where no one cares that he is a prince of Asgard. So that doesn’t buy him any power or value. His powers are reduced due to obedience discs that are attached to him. He’s an equal now. He doesn’t sit above the normal folk of the town. And that was a very smart way of stripping back his powers and making him relatable.

Sakaar is ruled by the Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum. The Grandmaster is insane and colourful, hilarious and witty and wildly fascinating. On page, the character was great and exciting, but I don’t think any of us expected what Jeff was going to do with it. He just turned up and blew us all away. It’s fairly unsettling for Thor, and Loki, too, to be around a character like this. They certainly haven’t faced anyone like that in their past. 

How has Hulk changed?

Hulk’s (played by Mark Ruffalo) a lot more articulate in this than we’ve ever seen him before, which is brilliant, because it makes him relatable and makes you empathise with what he’s going through. You have greater room for a relationship and a bond to be formed between him and Thor. And they become like roommates who agree and disagree and break up as friends and then get back together. 

What can you tell us about Hela, the first female villain of the Thor franchise?

Cate Blanchett is just brilliant as Hela. She is one of the greatest actors that have ever been. I had ideas of what she might do but I was completely blindsided by the outcome. She just has this insane off-kilter attitude to her character. At times, you find yourself empathising with Hela and then you remember that she is slaughtering people and destroying everything. 

What is the relationship between Thor and Loki in this story?

Thor has always given Loki a second chance and trusted him time and again but in this one, it’s different. He accepts what Loki is and leaves him at that. And maybe that’s out of a more intelligent attempt to bring him back. Or maybe Thor truly has run out of options and ideas to bring him back. I think inherently there is good in Loki but he has a warped view and an entitlement of where he should be and what he should be given. But it was fun to play that change in Thor’s attitude and to do something different, yet we still have great brotherly moments.

How did the production wind up in Australia?

I asked if we could shoot in Australia and thankfully the Marvel guys said they would look into it but couldn’t promise anything. To me, to be home again for more than two weeks would be fantastic. It was so nice being there. There’s just such a familiarity with the crew and everything here. And I got to sleep in my own bed! 

What does it do to work with such familiar faces?

It gives you such a buzz because Tom, Idris (Elba, who plays Heimdall) and I started on the first Thor when we were fairly early in our careers. So we like to reminisce all the time about old times. Then you work with people like Anthony Hopkins, who has done many other things, obviously, and who turns up just as excited as we are. I feel like there’s a real energy on these films where people feel that they’re doing something unique, as well as being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Describe a day on set with Taika Waititi…

There’s lots of music and usually some dancing, lots of jokes, lots of craziness, lots of insanity and lots of fun. Lots of exploration, lots of just trying things and then seeing where we could push it…. I’ve got to say it’s definitely the most light-hearted fun set I’ve been on. The tone of the film is responsible for the environment that Taika created. It makes you feel okay about trying something you might not have before. You feel in safe hands. And you’ve got to trust the director to do that. 

What do you think makes Marvel so successful?

I think that Kevin Feige and his team are the smartest people in the business. They were the first out of the gate with this idea of superheroes at this level and this style. Then they were able to adapt and change as audiences wanted different things. They’ve been so on-point with those gear shifts. Kevin and his team have a great passion for these stories… they truly do love comic books and these characters. They know more about them than any of us playing them do, and there’s no better resource than that.

Who are you a bigger fan of — Thor or Loki? Tell t2@abp.in