Why Marvel made Thor and Loki funny
Throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Thor films have undergone many tonal changes. The dull tone of “Thor: The Dark World” is a far cry from the zaniness of “Thor: Ragnarok.” This change has been well received by most fans, with Thor and Loki actors Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, in particular, getting to flex their comedic muscles.
(Not that Hemsworth doesn’t have enough muscles to flex).
Kevin Feige’s Take
In a press conference for “Loki,” MCU mastermind and producer Kevin Feige discussed the decision-making behind making Thor and Loki more comedic characters. Feige credited Hemsworth and Hiddleston’s talents and range for the switch-up.
“It wasn’t necessarily a conscious plan to say, let’s make them even funnier now. They have just always been funny. We took that from behind the scenes and decided we wanted to put it on camera over the more recent years,” says Feige.
The “Loki” team discuss humor
“Loki” director Kate Herron and head writer Michael Waldron also talked about infusing Hiddleston’s humor and energy into the series.
Before “Loki,” Herron worked in the comedy space, directing episodes of “Sex Education” and “Daybreak” for Netflix. Herron knew she would channel her past comedic experiences into “Loki.” She described directing Hiddleston “as keys on the piano with different parts of Loki.”
“You can’t have Loki without the wit,” adds Herron.
Waldron is also no stranger to comedy, having written for the hilarious “Rick and Morty” before joining “Loki.” His prior work on the animated series influenced how he approached writing for Marvel.
“I think maybe out of the gate I was trying to step on the gas with the comedy perhaps too much. I had to recalibrate and shift this thing to a more dramatic place,” says Waldron.
Waldron knew he would have Hiddleston’s acting chops to back up whatever he wrote.
“The great thing about this character is you don’t have to write jokes. Loki’s gonna make just regular exchanges funny and fun and engaging, just with the way he interacts. I think that was how we approached it. And we just trusted Tom to do all the work,” affirmed Waldron.
Tom Hiddleston’s Take
Hiddleston himself chimed in about his character’s use of humor. “I think because of Loki’s complexity every time he’s in a new dynamic, new stuff emerges. I’m just amazed like this is a comedy? Loki will be quite surprised by that,” says Hiddleston.
How do you feel about the Asgardian brothers embracing comedy? For more Marvel and “Loki” content, check out our “Loki” review and “Who is Lady Loki in ‘Loki’ episode 2?”
