Part of the legacy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, aside from helping coin the phrase “superhero fatigue,” is its murderers’ row of actors. Say what you will about the MCU, but it has assembled an incredible range of talent since its inception. (That’s the power of IP money and Kevin Feige, huh?). With each project, starting with the Robert Downey Jr.-led Iron Man in 2008, Disney has collected global stars like Thanos amassing his precious Infinity Stones. Marvel has nabbed established names (Samuel L. Jackson, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek), then-rising stars (Florence Pugh, Zendaya, Michael B. Jordan), rookie MVPs (Tom Holland, Iman Vellani), and returned beloved faces to the mix (Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire). But when it comes to a truly memorable performance over all this time in the MCU, Tom Hiddleston has everyone beat.
Hiddleston scored big with his role as Loki in 2011’s Thor. Since then he’s appeared in six additional films, two animated shorts, and two Disney+ shows, including, of course, Loki, which is in the midst of its second season. Loki the character is alive and well, even if the show’s latest episodes are convoluted. It’s getting increasingly difficult to keep up with Loki’s time travel, timelines, variants, and other complications. In a way, that issue is emblematic of the MCU’s current state. Now in its 15th year, it’s struggling to retain the same level of enthusiasm in a post-Avengers: Endgame world. Loki was a potential bright spot after an engaging, fresh first season in 2021. But now it’s in something of a sophomore slump. Thankfully, the series has two saving graces: stunning visuals and outstanding performances, none of which are more impressive than its lead’s.
Compared to other notable MCU actors, including commendable villainous turns from the likes of Jordan and Michael Keaton, Hiddleston obviously has the advantage of time. Across three Thor and three Avengers movies over 12 years, Loki Laufeyson isn’t the same God of Mischief we were introduced to way back when. Still, Hiddleston ensures, either with a deranged smirk or sly dialogue delivery, that remnants of the original character are still in there. But now, Loki is open to the possibility of redemption because he’s fighting to save the world, not to eliminate it entirely, as was his mission in The Avengers.
Loki has received the kind of nuanced and believable character development that’s rarely seen in the MCU (or any major superhero franchise, for that matter). Hiddleston deploys an impressive physical and emotional range, evolving Loki from a maniacal killer in The Avengers to an anti-hero in Thor: Ragnarok (where he’s aided by a comical partnership with co-star Chris Hemsworth) to a full-fledged sentimental hero in the new episodes of Loki. (Thankfully, his spiky hair and costumes have also made headway, although we do miss the Asgardian horned mask.)
Loki isn’t alone in his evolution from antagonist to protagonist on the small screen portion of the MCU. Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), have been on similar paths. They each got to unpack their traumas and flesh out their human side over a span of multiple episodes (in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and WandaVision, respectively) instead of a mere two-hour film. In fact, WandaVision is arguably the best Disney+ Marvel series to date, elevated further by Olsen’s tremendous performance.
Similarly, Hiddleston capitalizes on the space he’s given over two seasons to transform Loki in a way the movies simply don’t allow. In every Thor film, he’s the supporting character. But in the show, Loki’s imprisonment at the Time Variance Authority and his partnership with Mobius (Owen Wilson) accomplish what even Loki’s own brother couldn’t: Revealing that the character does, in fact, have a heart. This becomes more pronounced when Loki falls for another Loki, played by Sophia DiMartino. At least we know narcissism—in some form or another—is imbued in all Loki variants.
The show’s gloss has faded in its second season because, ultimately, Marvel is going to Marvel. Loki has become less of a TV show in and of itself and more of a springboard for the MCU’s next big phase. That’s evident by episode three’s focus on Jonathan Majors’ Victor Timely, who will go on to become Kang the Conqueror, touted as the Big Bad of MCU Phases 5 and 6. But, despite the choppy storytelling, Loki is thriving in its own messy way on Hiddleston’s talented shoulders. And perhaps we should just take that win from the MCU.