Say what you will about Marvel’s longstanding villain problem – something studio head Kevin Feige has often acknowledged when reflecting on the grand MCU – but if there’s one antagonist that stands head and shoulders above the rest, luscious black locks and all, it’s Loki.
Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief is arguably one of the highlights of the Thor standalone movies, and his central role in Joss Whedon’s Avengers back in 2012 (“mewling quim!”) was enough to cement his status as a bona fide fan-favorite. Now, Hiddleston is prepped and ready to reprise as Loki for November’s Thor: Ragnarok, and it seems Asgard’s prodigal son isn’t all that impressed by the advent of one Doctor Strange. Yes, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme has secured his place in Taika Waititi’s galactic threequel, and early reports suggest that he’ll enjoy a fairly significant chunk of screentime.
One member of the Marvel family that isn’t all that fussed about Strange‘s arrival in the Nine Realms is Loki, after Hiddleston revealed to IGN that his conniving God of Mischief will be very dismissive of Cumberbatch’s newcomer come November.
“I think he probably dismisses Strange. Yes, his sorcery is very impressive, but Loki’s been doing that for centuries so who cares. Hela is a different beast and full of surprises and actually might have been someone with whom at one time he could’ve gotten along, but the circumstances have changed.”
As far as Loki and Thor’s sibling rivalry goes, further in the interview the British thesp teased the ways in which Hela (Cate Blanchett) forces Odin’s warring sons to set aside their differences in the face of a common enemy. The “stakes are raised,” according to Hiddleston, but the actor stopped short of divulging any concrete story clues at this early stage.
With a subtitle that evokes apocalyptic imagery, one might assume that Thor: Ragnarok will be an awfully bleak affair. Not quite, as in a separate interview, Tom Hiddleston assured fans that Waititi’s threequel will deliver the “funniest Thor” movie yet. November 3rd is the date for your diaries, folks.