Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
It goes without saying that Tom Hiddleston is one of the most adored actors in the Marvel Universe, thanks to his portrayal of Loki. But many fans may not be aware of the hilarious and somewhat out-of-the-ordinary way he won over Kenneth Branagh, the director ofThor,before his casting as Loki.
As soon as Branagh revealed he was directing the$449.3 million filmThor,he dashed into his dressing room with an empty water cooler and pretended it to be Thor’s hammer.
Jon Favreau’sIron Man, the first film in the MCU’s Phase 1, set the tone for the other films in the series and made way for the other heroes who would guide this interconnected universe. The fourth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kenneth Branagh’sThor(2011), starring Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki, debuted to positive reviews from critics.
Also read:“It would be really confusing”: Tom Hiddleston Hints Reuniting With Chris Hemsworth’s Thor After Becoming Marvel’s Most Powerful Hero in Loki S2 Finale
Tom Hiddleston Revealed the Story BehindLoki’sCasting
Tom Hiddlestonopened up about how a “sheer coincidence”working with Kenneth Branagh helped him land the role of Loki inThor.In an interview withVanity Fair, the 42-year-old actor detailed how the director cast him in the role of Loki:
“I spent 2008 as a sheer coincidence working as an actor alongsideKenneth Branagh; we did a television series for the BBC called Wallander and after that, I did [again with a complete coincidence] a play with Ken. So I had this experience of working with him as an actor.”
He also recalled how, as soon as Branagh announced he would be directingThor, the actor ran into the director’s dressing room with an empty water cooler, assuming it to be Thor’s hammer:
“It was during the run of Ivanov that Kenneth Branagh announced that he was going to direct Thor. and I remember running up into his dressing room and I had an empty water cooler in my hand and I said ‘it was a way of congratulating’. I was pretending it was Thor’s hammer; it was completely absurd.”
But eventually, as luck would have it, Hiddleston was cast as the God of Mischief and brother of Thor. He once shared withJimmy Fallon:
“I auditioned for the first Thor film 10 years ago in 2009. And I just thought I was auditioning for a movie. You know, an interesting part in an interesting movie. Back then, the Marvel Universe was—they’d just made Iron Man. And I thought, ‘I’ll have a go.’ I didn’t expect to be cast at all.”
Also read:“You have found your Multiverse Saga Russo bros”: Fans Are Convinced 2 MCU Directors Can Save Avengers: Secret Wars After Loki Season 2 Finale
Loki’s ‘Life-Changing’ Impact OnTom Hiddleston
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Tom Hiddleston shared that the role of Loki inThorhad a“life-changing effect” on him and that the casting came from the film’s director,Kenneth Branagh:
“It had a life-changing effect on me. It happened quite organically, almost by accident. He saw me in a Shakespeare production in a theater in London, he then asked me to perform with him in the television seriesWallanderfor the BBC.”
According to theUnrelatedactor,
“We then did a Chekhov play in the West End, and then he cast me as Loki in the first Thor film. So actually we ended up spending about 12 months working together in different media.”
Hiddleston, who co-starred in the film with Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård, Chris Hemsworth, and Anthony Hopkins, expressed gratitude for his supportive cast:
“At the end of that experience I had learned so much from him. But then I realized that he used to look up to Derek Jacobi and Anthony Hopkins. And when I was playing Loki for the first time and Anthony Hopkins was playing my father, [Hopkins] told me he used to look up to Richard Burton.”
Lokimade its debut on August 01, 2025. As part of Phase Four of the MCU, its first season aired for six episodes and ended on July 14. Positive reviews were given to it, particularly regarding the performances. Phase Five included a second season ofLokithat ran from July 19, 2025, to August 11, 2025, with six more episodes.
Both seasons ofLokiandThorare streaming on Disney Plus.
Also read:Marvel Replacing Infinity Stones With Superheroes for Secret Wars: Loki is Time, Wanda is Reality – 4 Other Heroes That Replace Power, Soul, Mind, Space as Per New Theory
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
