Tom Hiddleston says Loki’s ‘fluid’ identity has always been a “part of the fabric” of his character across his appearances in the Marvel universe. (Disney Plus/Marvel)
Loki star Tom Hiddleston says the Marvel hero’s fluid identity has always been a “part of the fabric” of his character – especially now in the new Disney series.
Disney‘s Loki, which premiered Wednesday (9 June), marks the first time the character’s sex has been confirmed as fluid in the MCU – though in the comics, he is canonically pansexual and gender-fluid.
Hiddleston has been the god of mischief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since the first Thor movie premiered in 2011, and said that he has always envisioned Loki’s “fluidity” while playing him.
“I’ve known about the breadth of Loki’s identity since I was first cast as the character 10 years ago,” he told Out.
“It was really thrilling to get to touch on that this time around,” Hiddleston added.
He explained: “Back then, I did a really deep dive into my own research and could see that not just in the comics, that’s always been there, but also in the history of the character across hundreds of thousands of years, there’s been a fluidity about Loki that I found really interesting and compelling and very much a part of the fabric of the character.
Over the past decade, Hiddleston has played Loki in multiple instalments in the Thor franchise, Avengers films and other parts of the MCU.
Hiddleston told Out that being cast as the god of mischief “changed” his life “completely”, and said he would continue on in the role as long as “people are still curious about seeing me step into his shoes”.
The star also shared his excitement that the Marvel universe is becoming more LGBT-inclusive. He said the MCU is “expanding” and is “quite correctly” so becoming “much more inclusive” as a result.
“I think it creates unbelievable possibility, a world of opportunity and storytelling which we haven’t seen yet,” Hiddleston told Out. “Thrilled to be part of it and can’t wait to see where it goes.”
In the Marvel universe, Loki was described by his adopted father, Odin, as his child “who is both” his daughter and son in one comic book.
Loki has a highly developed talent for shape-shifting and can present himself in many forms. He has expressed himself in different genders, taken on animal forms and even disguised himself as Odin for a while.
In a cover interview with Empire, Hiddleston said even the Disney series’ mismatched logo mirrored Loki’s fluid nature. He described how the “shapeshifting logo” should give fans an idea that the show is “about identity” and “integrating the disparate fragments of the many selves” of Loki.
Loki is currently streaming on Disney Plus with new episodes being released every Wednesday.