How Christopher Reeve's Superman Shaped Tom Hiddleston's Loki
The British actor reveals how the late Superman star's masterful portrayal became his blueprint for bringing the Norse trickster god to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Over the past decade, no actor has become more synonymous with a single character than Tom Hiddleston and his portrayal of Loki. The British performer has brought the Norse trickster god to life across seven films, two seasons of his own series, and even Disney Plus Simpsons shorts since first donning the character's horns in 2011's Thor.
During a 2024 conversation with Backstage, The Night Manager star looked back at those early days when he first tackled the iconic Marvel villain. While Hiddleston had an edge over other actors auditioning thanks to his previous work with director Kenneth Branagh, he still faced the challenge of translating this mythological figure from page to screen.
Finding Shakespeare in Superhero Stories
"I remember thinking, 'This is almost Shakespearean, this language'," Hiddleston explained. "What's the best example I can [look to] of an actor who managed to humanize and make real this elevated world of myth?"
The actor didn't limit his research to comic book sources. He studied legendary British performer Peter O'Toole, especially his work in The Lion in Winter. But when it came to grounding a godlike character in human reality, one performance stood above all others.
The Superman Standard
Christopher Reeve's 1978 Superman became Hiddleston's north star. "He's masterful in that film," the actor reflected. "In a way, it's a similar premise: He's a god or he's a being from a different realm, and it's not naturalistic in the way that we might expect. He does it so truthfully, and it's so clear and clean and open and honest."
Hiddleston set his bar high. "If I can even approximate or get close to the kind of clarity that Christopher Reeve had in those films, I'll be lucky."
A Lasting Connection
Reeve's influence on superhero cinema extends far beyond his four Superman films. Every actor who has worn the cape since has drawn from his template of boyish charm and earnest heroism. Without his foundation, neither the original franchise nor the entire superhero genre might have achieved mainstream success.
Even after Reeve's death in 2004, his shadow looms over the Superman legacy. James Gunn's 2025 reboot will feature Reeve's son Will in a tribute to his father's impact on the character.
Both Hiddleston and Reeve achieved something rare in Hollywood. They became permanently linked to their characters, for better or worse. Whatever lessons Hiddleston absorbed from studying Reeve's approach clearly paid off. The future actor who eventually replaces Hiddleston as Loki will face the same daunting task that once challenged Brandon Routh when he stepped into Superman's boots.