Marvel’s big-budget feature with three badass female superheroes sounds like the dream project to be in, and Marvel has roped in the fiancée of its beloved trickster god as the film’s female supervillain to round out the roster. Zawe Ashton — who is engaged to the Loki actor Tom Hiddleston — will be seen in The Marvels as the villainous Kree revolutionary Dar-Benn.
In the latest interview with EW, Ashton opened up about getting the role through an “unexpected phone call,” and to make the greatest impression possible, “she quickly threw herself into stunt training and comic research.” However, Ashton also had some expert guidance from her partner to gear up as Dar-Benn. Her fiancé and partner of four years — Tom Hiddleston — comes with 22 years of experience portraying the mischievous MCU villain-turned-hero Loki. The beloved actor let Ashton in on some valuable insights.
Shedding light on their conversations following her casting, Ashton revealed the “main takeaway” from their conversation was “What you put into Marvel, you get back.” She further shared the wisdom Hiddleston imparted to her:
“If you go into this with an open heart and a great work ethic and just want to provide an amazing experience for the fans, you’ll have an amazing experience on those sets.”
Another sage counsel Hiddleston gave Ashton from his firsthand experience on the Marvel sets was “Make sure you have enough zippers to go to the bathroom in your costume,” which Ashton realizes is “very good advice” after shooting for The Marvels in her Kree costume for days.
Ashton’s character Dar-Benn was originally written as a man and only had a minor role in the comics. However, The Marvels will have an expanded take on the character and will feature her clashing with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel.
Ashton will be seen performing intense fighting scenes, for which director Nia DaCosta “encouraged her to prioritize agility and strength over physical appearance” in an early conversation. She also talked about a funny exchange between the two in light of her preparing for the role:
“I was saying how much I was loving working out and getting physically strong, and she was like, ‘Whatever you do, please do not turn up here on day one looking like a pencil!'”
Tom Hiddleston has been a constant support in helping Ashton be the perfect Dar-Benn, as she remembered one “particularly fun day when he helped her rehearse a Marvels scene” and their dog stood confused “wondering why two terrifying Marvel villains were loudly running lines above him.”
But apart from the jokes, Ashton made sure to express her gratefulness for being a part of this “all-female sci-fi extravaganza.” “I felt very moved, actually, being involved in it,” the actress said. The Marvels will mark her MCU debut, which is set to premiere theatrically on Nov. 10, 2023.