New contract details emerged from Tom Hiddleston’s original agreement with Marvel Studios to play Loki in the MCU.

Hiddleston’s journey in the MCU has been one of the longest and most beloved. He first starred as Loki in 2011’s Thor, all the way up until he found a new Glorious Purpose during the finale of 2023’s Loki Season 2.

However, his casting process wasn’t as straightforward as many would’ve expected. The actor originally tried out for the role of Thor, but it turns out there’s more to the story than fans originally thought.

New MCU Contract Details Revealed by Tom Hiddleston

While on the Seaman Says podcast, Loki actor Tom Hiddleston unpacked some of the details within his first Marvel Studios contract.

Hiddleston described how unorthodox his contract was, revealing that Marvel Studios had “the right” to cast him as “Thor/Loki:”

“It was really curious… This is very much par for the course in the business, but I signed– Basically, they pre-negotiated my contract before going in [for the audition] and I signed it. But I noticed on that morning, it said, ‘Marvel Studios has the right to cast Tom Hiddleston in the role of…’ and there was a blank. And somebody had written, ‘Thor/Loki.’”

Until now, this small detail about Hiddleston’s contract was unknown to the public. It’s fascinating that he was being considered for both roles.

However, few would argue that Marvel made a mistake with Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth being iconic for their respective roles as brothers.

Hiddleston also acknowledged that he doesn’t think anyone else’s contract had two characters like his:

“And I was like, ‘Oh, I wonder if anyone else’s says that.’ I don’t think they did, to be honest.”

 

It was also soon after that he and Hemsworth learned that Marvel’s plans for them went far beyond Thor, which came as a surprise as he thought he was “auditioning for one movie:”

“And after that, very shortly, they called Chris Hemsworth and me on the same day and they said, ‘Look, we’re gonna build these two characters together, introduce them at the same time, and you’re gonna have this massive journey.’ Because also, Chris and I, we thought we were auditioning for one movie.”

The first time Hiddleston met with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, he wanted “to talk to [him] about Avengers:”

“And I remember being called in to Kevin Feige’s office for the first time, and he said, ‘Look, congratulations… Loki is a great role and Thor’s going to be a great movie, but I want to talk to you about Avengers.’

Fiege laid out the entire Phase 1 MCU plan, ending with Loki as “the villain in the Avengers film,” which shocked Hiddleston. He said that life “change[d] radically” after that moment:

“And I was like, ‘What?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, well, we’re gonna make Thor, and then we’re gonna make a Captain America film, and then we’re gonna make an Avengers film. Loki will be the villain in the Avengers film, because he was the first villain in the first Avengers comic.’ And I was like, literally, sort of, floated out of that meeting. Life is about to change radically, and it did.”

Would Tom Hiddleston Have Been a Good Thor?

Kevin Feige and Casting Director Sarah Finn have discovered some incredible talent to portray Marvel characters over the years. Still, the decision to make Tom Hiddleston Loki instead of Thor is among the best.

Hiddleston is an excellent actor, but the direction of Thor throughout the MCU has suited Chris Hemsworth much better. Not only does Hemsworth more physically resemble the God of Thunder, but the transition from Shakespearean to sci-fi comedy has perfectly matched his skill set.

Regarding Loki’s narrative, Hiddleston has always been able to portray the second-rate brother, thirsty for power, but also craving love and affection from his adopted family.

The character of Loki also became so remarkable through Hiddleston’s acting that he has died and been revived more times than many fans can count.

Over a decade after his first appearance, Hiddleston is still playing the God of Mischief and may continue to play a key role in the Multiverse Saga going forward.