Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
God of Mischief, adopted son of Odin, and complex antihero.
Loki Laufeyson, adopted and renamed Loki Odinson, is the God of Mischief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by Tom Hiddleston. The character draws from both the Marvel Comics version and the Norse myth. He starts as the enemy of his adoptive brother Thor, using Asgardian magic and sorcery in failed attempts to claim the throne. After trying to conquer Earth—which accidentally leads to the formation of the Avengers—he is imprisoned on Asgard. He later briefly rules in place of his adoptive father Odin, then shifts to an antihero role, helping Thor stop their sister Hela before being killed by Thanos. A 2012 alternate version of Loki gets recruited by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), meets other versions of himself including a female variant named Sylvie (with whom he falls in love), and teams up with TVA agents Mobius, Hunter B-15, and Ouroboros to stop He Who Remains. This alternate Loki ultimately sacrifices himself to watch over and maintain the multiverse. By 2024, Loki appears in seven MCU films starting with *Thor* (2011), with alternate versions headlining the Disney+ series *Loki* (2021–2023) and appearing in *What If...?* (2021–2024). The character is a fan favorite, and Hiddleston’s performance has been widely praised.
The idea of live-action Thor films had been floated for years without success. In the mid-2000s, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, a self-described fanboy, realized the company still held the rights to core Avengers members including Thor. He wanted to build a shared universe like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had done in the 1960s. The film was announced in 2006. By December 2007, screenwriter Mark Protosevich described it as a superhero origin story where a god realizes his true potential, comparing it to an Old Testament God becoming a New Testament one. In 2008, Guillermo del Toro entered talks to direct, loving Loki and wanting to include more Norse mythology with a gritty Valhalla, but he left to direct *The Hobbit*. Kenneth Branagh then signed on by December 2008, calling the story a human drama inside a big epic. Actors considered for Loki included Josh Hartnett and Jim Carrey. In May 2009, Marvel announced Tom Hiddleston—who had worked with Branagh before and was initially up for the lead—would play Loki. By June 2009, Feige confirmed Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth were cast.
Hiddleston described Loki as a nastier comic-bo
- portrayed_by
- Tom Hiddleston
- first_appearance
- Thor (2011)
- field
- God of Mischief, Asgardian magic and sorcery
- known_for
- Antagonist turned antihero; key figure in formation of the Avengers; alternate version recruited by the Time Variance Authority
Quick Facts
- Franchise
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- First
- Original: / Thor (2011) / Alternate: / Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Last
- Original: / Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Based On
- Loki · Stan Lee · Larry Lieber · Jack Kirby
- Portrayer
- Tom Hiddleston / Ted Allpress (young; Thor)
- Full Name
- Loki Laufeyson
- Alias
- Loki Odinson / Dan B. Cooper / Variant L1130 (2012 variant)
- Species
- Jotunn (Frost Giant)
- Title
- God of Time / God of Stories / God of Mischief / Prince of Asgard / King of Asgard / Rightful King of Jotunheim
- Affiliation
- Frost Giants / Chitauri / Revengers / Time Variance Authority (2012 variant)
- Weapon
- Daggers and throwing knives / Casket of Ancient Winters / Gungnir / Scepter (Mind Stone) / Tesseract (Space Stone)
- Family
- Laufey (father) / Odin (adoptive father) / Frigga (adoptive mother) / Hela (adoptive sister) / Thor (adoptive brother)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Raised as a master of Asgardian magic and sorcery, Loki plots to take the Asgardian throne from Thor. After that fails, he attempts to conquer Earth, inadvertently driving the formation of the Avengers, but is imprisoned in Asgard. He briefly replaces his adoptive father, Odin, as Asgard's ruler, then turns antihero and helps his brother save the planet from their sister Hela, before being killed by Thanos. An alternate version of Loki from 2012 is recruited by the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and encounters other versions of himself, including a female version named Sylvie, with whom he falls in love. They work together with TVA members Mobius, Hunter B-15 and Ouroboros to stop He Who Remains. The alternate version of Loki later sacrifices himself to watch over and maintain the multiverse.
Reader's Guide
Loki is considered a fan-favorite character in the MCU; Hiddleston's performance has received critical acclaim from critics and audiences. The character's evolution from villain to antihero, and the exploration of alternate versions in the Loki series, expanded the narrative scope of the MCU. Hiddleston noted that Loki's sex is denoted by the TVA as 'fluid', in a nod to the character's genderfluidity in Marvel Comics. The character's death at the beginning of Infinity War was described by Hiddleston as powerful, closing his journey. Loki's appearance, with raven black hair and pale skin, was designed to lend severity and menace. The character's costume in Thor adapted elements from the comics while adding a futuristic feel, reflecting the treatment of magic as advanced technology.
Did You Know?
- Tom Hiddleston dyed his naturally blond hair and blanched his skin to achieve Loki's look.
- Kenneth Branagh directed Thor and cast Hiddleston as Loki after initially considering him for the lead role.
- Hiddleston looked at Peter O'Toole's performances in The Lion in Winter and Lawrence of Arabia as inspiration for Loki's emotional volatility.
- An alternate version of Loki from 2012 falls in love with a female version of himself named Sylvie.
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