Marvel Studios’ Loki is officially on Disney+ — in this interview with the cast and creators, they discuss behind the scenes info and more.
Loki is the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe series to hit Disney+ and in order to celebrate the release, the cast and creators of the show did a press day where they dove deep into Loki, prepping for the show, and a whole lot more during their interview! Tom Hiddleston drops some gems about the God of Mischief, and spends a lot of time thanking the fans, and acknowledging how much the character means to them.
Participating Talent:
- Tom Hiddleston (“Loki”)
- Owen Wilson (“Mobius”)
- Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Ravonna Renslayer”)
- Wunmi Mosaku (“Hunter B-15”)
- Kate Herron (Director)
- Michael Waldron (Head Writer)
- Kevin Feige (Producer)
Bring Loki Back To The MCU
A few years ago it seemed like this was it for the character of Loki, when Thanos killed him at the start of Avengers: Endgame. Tom Hiddleston says that it was a combination of delight and surprise when he got the call to return as the God of the Mischief in the MCU. He explains that that moment Endgame felt final, and like a conclusive end to Loki’s story.
Kevin Feige adds in that he did not know the Loki series was coming when they shot Avengers: Infinity War, but they did know when they shot Avengers: Endgame. “One of my favorite things coming out of Endgame was people saying that we forget to tie up the loose end of Loki. Loki just disappears and we forgot to mention what happens to him at the end of that movie. At that point, we did know that there was Disney+ coming and the show coming. It became very exciting to make people wait until we figured out what the show would be.”, Kevin explains.
Michael Waldron, the Head Writer for Loki, was very excited about the opportunity to take on the series, who was already his favorite character in the MCU. Add in the fact that it was going to have a time travel element, and he was all in. He knew there would be opportunities for chaos and fun.
As for Director Kate Herron, she admits that what got her the job was persistence. She laughs saying that she told her agent to call Marvel every day until they caved, and it worked. “Being a pain in the butt got me the job.”
Newcomers To The MCU
Loki features a few new faces that are joining the MCU, including Owen Wilson, who plays Mobius, Gugu Mbatha-Raw who plays Ravonna Renslayer, and Wunmi Mosaku, who plays Hunter B-15.
Wilson says that he is very excited about being a part of the show, and the MCU, but he quickly realized how secretive Marvel is about things. They are very committed to surprising people, and having been a part of a lot of projects before, this is the first time he is having to walk on eggshells so much. He adds, “the fan base is so revved up and passionate.”
Mbatha-Raw is portraying a character that is right from the comic books, however, she was told that this is an origin story for Renslayer, predating some of the stuff in the comic books. “There was the opportunity to feel like we were starting with something fresh with the TVA that hadn’t been seen before by fans on screen. There’s so much there that I feel like there’s plenty of potential for her in the future as well.”
Hunter B-15 is pretty amazing in the show. She is strong, powerful, and completely new to Marvel lore. Because of this, Mosaku says she felt no pressure in taking on the role “because no one’s got any ideas of what they want her to be. I can bring you who she is, and you have to accept it.”, she jokes. Of course, she did feel a bit of pressure about joining the MCU in general saying “It’s the MCU.”
Tom Hiddleston On Playing Loki For So Long
“There’s no question that the reason I am allowed to continue to play him, is because he clearly means so much to so many people and for so many different reasons. And that is incredibly gratifying for me. And I see that as a big honor. Over time, I’ve been made aware of the different things that he represents for people.” – Tom Hiddleston
He then goes on to say that some people enjoy the playfulness of Loki, while some enjoy his spontaneity, and that inherent sense of mischief that he has. He is also an antagonist, and then Hiddleston admits that some people probably can’t stand Loki. Still, some people are drawn to his vulnerability — underneath all those layers of charm and charisma and playfulness is a vulnerability — something that is a very relatable human thing. Hiddleston says he owes that to all the writers who have ever brought life to Loki, starting with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Crime Thriller Influence
Herron admits that a lot of her inspiration, stylistically speaking anyways, came from a lot of film noir films, which can be seen in the lighting and how the story was approaching. “Se7en is a very heavy influence. There’s a little reference to Se7en in episode two of a little needle drop, which I’m sure fans of that film will recognize instantly.”
Waldron adds in that they took a lot of influence from Fincher as well. “Zodiac and Silence of the Lambs were two specific ones that we were really looking at a lot in the writers’ room.”
Feige very nicely explains that the real inspiration was Kate Herron. They knew they wanted to do a Tom Hiddleston Loki series and have time travel elements, but were not really sure where to go with it until Kate brought in her pitch.
“Our producer, Stephen Broussard, and our other producer, Kevin Wright, and I were always fans of this Time Variance Authority organization from the comics for years and years. We’ve loved the idea of it. But just didn’t know exactly what to do with it before. Kevin and Stephen had the idea of putting it as a major part of this show, but it’s really Kate’s meetings with us and her pitch that brought in all those references and allowed us to look at this in a slightly different genre than we were anticipating.” – Kevin Feige
Want more? Check out all of our Loki coverage including quotes and comic book suggestions!
About Loki
Marvel Studios’ “Loki” features the God of Mischief as he steps out of his brother’s shadow in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Kate Herron directs “Loki,” and Michael Waldron is head writer.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.