Tag: Loki

Express News Service

How would you say Season 2 of Loki compares to the first?Season 1 felt like an extraordinary jigsaw puzzle of taking Loki out of everything that was familiar and introducing him to a new world. It was all about placing his chaotic, improvising quality inside this institution of order, structure and form at the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Now, in the new season, he is faced with two existential questions: Who am I? Where am I?

You and Owen Wilson (who plays Mobius M Mobius, a bureaucrat at the TVA) make a great double-act on the show. What was he like to work with? I love working with Owen. He is just so clever and talented. He’s a joy to work with. Why do you think Loki, despite being an antagonist, is such a popular character with fans?I think the key is that, for someone supernatural, Loki is incredibly human. His vulnerability, heartbreaks and pain are there for the audience to see. Then, there is the other factor of his gifts, some of which were taught to him by his mother. He is a sorcerer. In The Dark World and Ragnarok, Loki is called upon to help Thor because he is the only one who can, in spite of the ancient rift between them. It’s a gift of narrative for an actor to have all of that fantastic and accessible emotion.

You have been playing Loki for more than a decade now. How would you describe the evolution since the character was introduced in Thor in 2011?Loki has developed with every new artist, actor, director and writer I have been lucky enough to work with. He has changed a lot already, but there is always more to explore with him, it seems. Perhaps, that is why the character has been around in our imaginations for so long. And, it continues to be an honour to play him.

How did (director) Kenneth Branagh help you shape Loki in the first Thor movie?Kenneth was careful about creating an emotional breadth and depth for the character that felt profound and classical. 

We talked a little bit about Shakespearean villains. Cassius in Julius Caesar is described as having a lean and hungry look, so that became a good reference point for us. An obvious comparison was the relationship between Edmund and Edgar in King Lear, a legitimate and an illegitimate son; two brothers competing in some way. But, I think the greatest gift was the arc of Loki in the first film. It was poignant. It meant that as an antagonist, later on, I had this cornerstone of vulnerability. It made the role more layered, interesting and sophisticated.

Was there a point where you thought that you were finished as Loki?Yeah, I thought Thor: The Dark World was it. Then, there was the altered ending, and then MCU went off in quite a different direction. The trajectory was complete at the beginning of Infinity War, when Loki was killed by Thanos. It was emotional. Josh Brolin was really sweet. He was like, ‘I’m sorry man…’ When I shot it, I thought that was absolutely the last time I would play him, and now here we still are.

A still from season 2 of Loki 

How do you feel about the Marvel multiverse, and how almost anything seems possible now?It’s exciting. Ever since the multiverse was introduced, I’ve been like, ‘Oh wow, there are three Spider-Mans in there. There are two Lokis.’ The multiverse now feels real. It exists for the audience now as it did for us when we were making these stories.

Did you compare notes with Ke Huy Quan (who plays Ouroboros, a master technician who lives beneath the TVA HQ) on multiverse worlds, given his experience in the Academy-award winning sci-fi film, Everything Everywhere All At Once?(Laughs) I just love that film. It was the most extraordinarily inventive, intelligent and brilliant movie. I think all stories about infinite possibilities are interesting. It’s the idea that at any point, in our lives, we could make a different choice that would create a different reality. In a way, it is a good thing to think about. It makes you think about your choices, life and your agency.

Finally, how does it make you feel to be going into your second decade as the God of Mischief?Amazing. I’m both surprised and delighted to still be playing Loki. I love being him. He is a character that continues to have so many surprises, both for me and the audience.     — Asia Features Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

How would you say Season 2 of Loki compares to the first?
Season 1 felt like an extraordinary jigsaw puzzle of taking Loki out of everything that was familiar and introducing him to a new world. It was all about placing his chaotic, improvising quality inside this institution of order, structure and form at the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Now, in the new season, he is faced with two existential questions: Who am I? Where am I?

You and Owen Wilson (who plays Mobius M Mobius, a bureaucrat at the TVA) make a great double-act on the show. What was he like to work with? 
I love working with Owen. He is just so clever and talented. He’s a joy to work with.
 Why do you think Loki, despite being an antagonist, is such a popular character with fans?
I think the key is that, for someone supernatural, Loki is incredibly human. His vulnerability, heartbreaks and pain are there for the audience to see. Then, there is the other factor of his gifts, some of which were taught to him by his mother. He is a sorcerer. In The Dark World and Ragnarok, Loki is called upon to help Thor because he is the only one who can, in spite of the ancient rift between them. It’s a gift of narrative for an actor to have all of that fantastic and accessible emotion.

You have been playing Loki for more than a decade now. How would you describe the evolution since the character was introduced in Thor in 2011?
Loki has developed with every new artist, actor, director and writer I have been lucky enough to work with. He has changed a lot already, but there is always more to explore with him, it seems. Perhaps, that is why the character has been around in our imaginations for so long. And, it continues to be an honour to play him.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

How did (director) Kenneth Branagh help you shape Loki in the first Thor movie?
Kenneth was careful about creating an emotional breadth and depth for the character that felt profound and classical. 

We talked a little bit about Shakespearean villains. Cassius in Julius Caesar is described as having a lean and hungry look, so that became a good reference point for us. An obvious comparison was the relationship between Edmund and Edgar in King Lear, a legitimate and an illegitimate son; two brothers competing in some way. But, I think the greatest gift was the arc of Loki in the first film. It was poignant. It meant that as an antagonist, later on, I had this cornerstone of vulnerability. It made the role more layered, interesting and sophisticated.

Was there a point where you thought that you were finished as Loki?
Yeah, I thought Thor: The Dark World was it. Then, there was the altered ending, and then MCU went off in quite a different direction. The trajectory was complete at the beginning of Infinity War, when Loki was killed by Thanos. It was emotional. Josh Brolin was really sweet. He was like, ‘I’m sorry man…’ When I shot it, I thought that was absolutely the last time I would play him, and now here we still are.

A still from season 2 of Loki 

How do you feel about the Marvel multiverse, and how almost anything seems possible now?
It’s exciting. Ever since the multiverse was introduced, I’ve been like, ‘Oh wow, there are three Spider-Mans in there. There are two Lokis.’ The multiverse now feels real. It exists for the audience now as it did for us when we were making these stories.

Did you compare notes with Ke Huy Quan (who plays Ouroboros, a master technician who lives beneath the TVA HQ) on multiverse worlds, given his experience in the Academy-award winning sci-fi film, Everything Everywhere All At Once?
(Laughs) I just love that film. It was the most extraordinarily inventive, intelligent and brilliant movie. I think all stories about infinite possibilities are interesting. It’s the idea that at any point, in 
our lives, we could make a different choice that would create a different reality. In 
a way, it is a good thing to think about. It makes you think about your choices, life and your agency.

Finally, how does it make you feel to be going into your second decade as the God of Mischief?
Amazing. I’m both surprised and delighted to still be playing Loki. I love being him. He is a character that continues to have so many surprises, both for me and the audience.     — Asia Features Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

By IANS
MUMBAI: Actor Tom Hiddleston has talked about his role Loki, the God of Mischief, and said that the character needs to evolve and that the latest series shows that he can change.

Hiddleston said: “Loki needs to evolve. The cycle was: Loki is trusted, he betrays, he becomes a villain, he learns to trust again, he’s betrayed, he becomes trusting again, he can be trusted again, then he betrays or feels betrayed.

“It’s just this endless cycle of trust and betrayal and resistance. And the character is essentially singing the same song over and over and over again. He’s trapped on a wheel of repetition, a compulsion to repeat the same damage, the same story. And we are breaking that record.”

Hiddleston said that Loki is now being released from that “trap” in the series.

“In this story, we’re showing that he can change, that he can grow. And what if the experience of that, and the journey he goes on, actually changes something internal where he can potentially become someone else, or begin from a place of understanding that, if you know who you are, then who you choose to be is a different thing,” he said.

“Loki” is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Premium and Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

By PTI
NEW DELHI: Marvel star Tom Hiddleston says the “vulnerabilities” of his character Loki draws people towards the God of Mischief, who is finally stepping out of his brother Thor’s shadow in the eponymous stand-alone Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series.

“Loki”, Marvel Studios’ third series at Disney Plus, centres on Hiddleston’s witty master of magic, following the events of 2019’s feature film “Avengers: Endgame”.

While the movies have mainly touched upon Loki’s mischievous side, the series aims to give an insight into what hides beneath the wickedness of the fan-favourite villain.

“I think over time I’m made aware of the different things he represents. Some people enjoy his playfulness, his spontaneity and that inherent sense of mischief he has.

Some people enjoy his quality as an antagonist. There are some people who are drawn to his vulnerabilities, under all these layers of charm and charisma.

There is something really relatable about vulnerability,” Hiddleston said during a virtual global press conference ahead of the show’s premiere on Wednesday.

The British star, who has played Loki in six MCU movies — “Thor” (2011), “The Avengers” (2012), “Thor: The Dark World” (2013), “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), and “Endgame” — said he owes his success to all the writers who have contributed in creating the character.

“I owe it to the writers, everyone who has ever written this character.

Starting from Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Don Payne, to Michael (series writer Waldron) and his amazing team,” he said.

The “Infinity War” saw Loki’s character dying at the hands of Thanos, but the series begins by showing the character being stuck at Time Variance Authority (TVA), a fictional organisation that monitors timeline in the Marvel comics.

Loki’s range as a character, makes his job even more exciting, said Hiddleston, adding that working on the series was a joyful experience as he got to team up with people who could resonate with his passion for the story.

The series is directed by “Sex Education” fame Kate Herron and executive produced by Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige.

It also marks the MCU debut of Hiddleston’s “Midnight In Paris” co-star Owen Wilson as well as “The Morning Show” star Gugu Mabtha-Raw.

The 40-year-old actor said Loki is a “character of huge range” and playing the role always feels like a new experience.

“I just love playing Loki. I feel so fortunate that I’m still here and there are just new aspects to the character every time that I learn about,” he said.

“Particularly this time around I’m surrounded by these amazing people. All my conversations with Kevin, Kate, and Michael and interactions with Owen and Gugu.

We just had a really good time,” he added.

For Wilson, best known for starring in comedy and dramas like “Zoolander” and “Wedding Crashers”, working on “Loki” was an interesting process.

“It’s exciting to be a part of it. I never understood the secrecy around Marvel projects, but when I saw the fan-base is so passionate and committed, it surprised me and then I kind of got it,” he said.

The actor, who plays TVA member Mobius M. Mobius on the show, said coming on board didn’t require a lot of “convincing”.

“There was a very comprehensive phone call where Kate (Herron) walked me through the idea of the show and the dynamics between Mobius and Loki,” he added.

Hiddleston said he was offered the project some time between “Infinity War” and “Endgame” and he was surprised and delighted with the idea of a stand-alone show on Loki.

“I was so excited by the idea of the series and also had to scratch my head a bit because that scene in ‘Infinity War’ (when Thanos kills Loki) felt so final and conclusive. It looked like the end of Loki’s story.”

It was after “Endgame” when they were finally able to figure out the future of Loki in MCU, added Feige.

“We didn’t know about the Loki series when we shot ‘Infinity War’, but I think we did know it when we shot ‘Endgame’,” he said.

Over the years, the “Thor” franchise, which as yet comprises three movies led by Chris Hemsworth — has built a huge fan-base courtesy its humorous take on Thor and Loki.

Feige said humour in the franchise came organically as the actors started to build upon the characters.

“I think Thor and Loki had a certain amount of humour in the comics over the decades. But the answer comes down to the performers and the remarkable talent of Mr. Hemsworth and Mr. Hiddleston and the range to be hilarious.

“It was not a plan to make it funnier now, they have always been funny and we took the fun from behind-the-scenes and put it on camera,” he said.

As for the series, director Herron said wit was always an integral part of Loki’s character and with the show, they tried to enhance that trait.

“I and Michael (Waldron) both of us have a comedy background so we would bring that to the work we do. And also, Tom is so witty. He is like keys on the piano with different parts of Loki. So we were always going to bring that wit to the show.” Waldron, famous for his work on the adult animated series “Rick and Morty”, said Loki gave him a space to go “dramatic”.

“I was coming off ‘Rick and Morty’ and was doing too much comedy. I had to shift it to more dramatic space and that was the great thing about this character,” Waldron added.

“Loki” will stream in India on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.