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Tom Hiddleston Shares Seriously Deep Thoughts on the End of Loki and the Finale's Meaning
Hiddleston looked back on 14 years of playing Marvel's villain-turned-hero and the finale of the Disney series, strongly suggesting he won't play the role again.
On November 9, Marvel fans watched the finale of Loki, the Disney+ series starring Tom Hiddleston. For 14 years, Hiddleston has portrayed the character who first appeared as the villainous brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in several movies before evolving into (several variants of) the time-saving hero that fans have come to adore. When Hiddleston visited The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 10, he had some thoughts to share about his long journey, and Loki's.
Host Jimmy Fallon—who didn't mince words about his excitement "to have an actor come on the show that can talk about their project," now that the SAG strike has ended in a deal—congratulated Hiddleston on a successful Loki Season 2.
Hiddleston cryptically shared that without spoiling the Loki season finale, "...it all comes full circle," to hushed laughter from the audience.
The actor also made it clear that Loki Season 2 is "the conclusion to Seasons 1 and 2. It's also the conclusion to six films and 12 episodes and 14 years of my life." Even for a Marvel actor, that's one serious career investment. "I was 29 when I was cast," Hiddleston continued. "I'm 42 now. It's been a journey!"
Read on for Hiddleston' deep thoughts (for real!) on the Loki finale, and the possibility that Hiddleston is retired from playing Loki for good.
Tom Hiddleston on the end of Loki
Hiddleston shared an easter egg (likely one of many) from the Loki finale, plus some deep thoughts on a character he's gotten to know extremely well over the past 14 years. In the last episode, "there are echoes and resonances of every Loki that I've played," he told Fallon. "Without spoiling it, the episode is called 'Glorious Purpose.' If you'll remember in the first Avengers film, Loki comes down to earth, looks straight at Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, and I say, 'I'm Loki of Asgard. I'm burdened with glorious purpose."
"He's arrogant, he's hubristic, and he's entitled, and he's going to take over the world. And then, you know, it doesn't go so well for him. We've all seen Infinity War," Hiddleston continued, reflecting on Loki's trajectory as a character. "Face-to-face with Thanos? Not so glorious."
At the beginning of Loki Season 1, Mobius, played by Owen Wilson—who Hiddleston calls "the best ever"—"basically shows Loki that the 'glorious purpose' was a fallacy, and he gets kind of a second chance," Hiddleston says. "That, I think, was the most exciting thing about this show—was seeing Loki try to rethink and rediscover that sense of purpose, which we can all relate to."
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"We all wonder if we're in charge of our own story. Can a leopard change his spots? Do we have any free will? And in exercising your free will, you make choices in your own life: You get a black coffee or a latte or a cappuccino. That's a choice," Hiddleon went on. "I mean, it's a small choice. But, every choice you make adds up to the picture of your life. Do those choices inform your purpose?I think all of us, as people, want happy lives, but we also want lives with a purpose. And that's really what the show is talking about."
It may sound like surprisingly heavy stuff for a Marvel character, but not for fans who love the series and have followed the character over his many evolutions and incarnations. "In the end, it comes back to, like, meaning and identity and family, which is really what Loki has always been about. It's always been about purpose and family."
Thomas Hiddleston responds to Loki fan theories
Fallon took the opportunity to ask Hiddleton about a few fan theories lingering in the wake of Loki's ending.
For one, "is there a secret connection between Loki Season 2 and the film The Marvels?" Fallon asked, to oohs from the audience.
"I mean, there are connections," Hiddleston said. "Some secret, some not so secret. I don't know what the fans think the secret connection is."
"That means there is no connection," Fallon guessed, though Hiddleston pointed out that his "other half," actress Zawe Ashton, is in the film.
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Another theory: "Has Miss Minutes been controlling everything all along?"
"A good question with many answers. I mean, we're all watching out for A.I., right?" Hiddleston joked.
As for whether Loki' ending sets up the Deadpool 3 movie or an Avengers: Secret Wars movie, or if Loki could use his time-slipping abilities to bring back Tony Stark, you'll have to watch the full interview to hear Hiddleston's answers.
But he did say this: "Death is up for grabs, as an existential question." Hopefully, this means we haven't seen the last of his Loki.
