MCU: 10 Actors Who Redefined Their Characters

9. Tom Hiddleston (Loki)

Even for the weird, whacky world of Marvel, Thor's world is a strange place. Even in the actual Norse mythology, Loki is an absolutely bonkers part of the story, and the comics only marginally make it less weird, making him a conniving trickster trying to destroy his brother Thor. However, weird, complicated stories about familial bonds are the forte of a Shakespearean actor, so Tom Hiddleston was right at home as the God of Mischief.

Finding critical acclaim for his performances in Othello and Cymbeline on the London stage, the classically-trained Hiddleston was director Kenneth Branagh's choice to play Loki, and it turned out to be the pick of a lifetime. Combining sardonic wit with Shakespearean gravitas, Hiddleston easily stands out among the bland pack of MCU villains as the audience's favorite baddie.

Of course, like a truly great villain, Hiddleston is so good at portraying a crafty, yet ultimately weaker warrior, he's earned massive sympathy. It got to the point where the powers that be had no choice but to make him a sympathetic anti-hero throughout the sequels.

It's a credit to Hiddleston, who was able to take an absurd mythological figure like Loki, and make him one of the most human elements of the MCU.