Summary

• Tom Hiddleston's inspiration from iconic villains like Hans Gruber and The Joker shaped Loki's charismatic and complex character arc.
• Drawing from Alan Rickman and Jack Nicholson, Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki evolved from villain to impactful hero in MCU.
• Hiddleston's choices with Loki allowed for growth and depth, making him one of the best MCU villains.

Tom Hiddleston has played Loki for over a decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his recent comments on who he drew inspiration from show why he is one of the most beloved characters in the entire franchise. Loki first appeared in Thor as the jealous younger brother of the titular character. Now, his most recent depiction of the character in Loki season 2 has secured him as one of the most impactful heroes in the franchise, with one of the most unusual and interesting character arcs in Marvel's movie and show history.

During the PaleyFest 2024 panel with the Loki cast, Hiddleston talked about a major inspiration he had when deciding how to portray the God of Mischief at the start of the MCU timeline. Hiddleston revealed that Alan Rickman's take on Hans Gruber in the first Die Hard was a big inspiration for him early on when preparing for his first film as Loki, stating:

Those are all characters that are about control and revenge ... I might just love those performances as a child. … I just was so drawn to those performances as they seemed to be having such a wonderful time playing these antagonists, I suppose. And that was part of the charm. They were so charismatic, even though they weren't at the center of those films.

Tom Hiddleston's Die Hard Inspiration For Loki Explains Why He's So Well-Liked

Hans Gruber is arguably one of the best villains in movie history, and Alan Rickman's performance as the character is a big reason why Die Hard works so well. Rickman brought a certain charisma to Gruber that left a lasting impression, and it is easy to see the inspiration come through with Hiddleston's Loki in much of the same way.

Hiddleston's choice early on to have Loki ooze charisma even at his most antagonistic also allowed the character to hint at hidden depths, with his desire for power over others becoming very different over the course of Loki's years-long MCU journey. This led him to be the MCU's longest recurring villain and allowed for the character to grow in each appearance, culminating satisfyingly in Loki season 2, wherein Loki eventually becomes a hero of sorts in his own right.

Tom Hiddleston's Other Inspirations For Loki Explained

Alongside Rickman's Gruber, Tom Hiddleston drew inspiration for Loki from Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman and James Mason as Phillip Vandamm in North by Northwest. There is an intelligence these characters possess as well as charisma and a certain playfulness that lends itself well to a villain like Loki, and Hiddleston took full advantage of that, crafting his own iconic character in the process.

Nicholson's Joker is especially interesting given his silly and over-the-top nature, which never reduced how terrifying of a villain he was throughout. While Loki seldom stoops to that much silliness, it's easy to see the influence on the character, and the frantic energy given to both supervillain performances in specific scenes.

Not every villain needs to be physically imposing to be memorable. Hiddleston's Loki has proven that time and again. Drawing inspiration from characters like the Joker and Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber and their distinct villainous charisma has led Hiddleston's take on the God of Mischief to be one of the best MCU movie villains of all time. Starting at a Hans Gruber level of villain while also giving the character room to grow throughout an entire franchise allowed Loki to evolve in interesting ways throughout his appearances in the MCU, with his latest appearance making that evolution even more meaningful.

Source: People