The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been telling comic book adaptations for over a decade, allowing long-running characters to change and grow with each new appearance. Thor and his brother Loki are the prime examples of this, debuting in 2011's Thor, and appearing in the following sequels and Avengers movies. The chemistry between the two brothers has been one of the more fascinating dynamics of the MCU, with Loki widely considered the best villain of the shared universe. Unfortunately for Tom Hiddleston, his tenure in the MCU also included a hit in the face by Chris Hemsworth himself.
Loki and Thor's relationship constantly pivots between brothers and nemeses, with Phase One of the MCU largely focused on the latter. Loki was the big bad of the first Avengers movie, leading Thanos' forces in an epic battle on Earth. Tom Hiddleston recently spoke to one scene in particular, where he encouraged Chris Hemsworth to hit him for real in order to sell a particular scene. That was something Hiddleston immediately regretted. As he put it:
There was actually a scene in Avengers 1, the first Avengers movie, where Thor had to strike Loki across the face and I was wearing the horns, which weight about 30 lbs, and I couldn't really sell the hit, the smack. So I just said to Chris I think you should just hit me in the face. It's a terrible idea, and I went down like a stone. I suppose on stage when you're doing a fight you have to it every night for 100 odd performances, I think if I was being hit in the face by Chris Hemsworth day after day, I don't know if I would be able to manage that. It wouldn't be sustainable.
Yikes. Chris Hemsworth is a hulking figure, particularly when he bulks up to play the God of Thunder. As such, letting the 36 year-old actor hit you without holding back isn't the wisest of plans. In fact, it's one that landed Tom Hiddleston on the ground.
This hilarious story comes to us from Tom Hiddleston's recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The host is a big fan of nerd culture, including Star Wars and the MCU. So it's no surprise that the conversation eventually turned to Hiddleston's long tenure as the God of Mischief. Hiddleston has played Loki in a whopping six movies so far, and will get his own Disney+ series as well. But it was his second appearance in The Avengers where he got hit by onscreen brother.
Tom Hiddleston doesn't explicitly say which scene in The Avengers resulted in that smack, but smart money says it comes from the Odinson brothers' battle during the film's third at. Loki and Thor come to blows in the sequence, fighting at the top of Stark Tower near the blockbuster's conclusion. Loki is wearing his signature horns in the scene, which might have made it more difficult when receiving hits from Thor during the fight choreography.
As a reminder, you can check out the scene in question below.
Oh how far the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come. While The Avengers blew moviegoers' collective minds in 2012, the next two slates of movies greatly expanded the shared universe, populating it with a ton of heroes and villains. What's more, Loki's character changed quite a bit throughout the years, as we caught a glimpse into his humanity and tragic past.
It should be interesting to see how Loki's show continues developing the character, who otherwise would have perished forever during Avengers: Infinity War. But The God of Mischief snagged the Time Stone during Endgame's time heist, creating a new timeline altogether for Tom Hiddleston's signature character.
Loki is set to arrive in the spring of 2021, so it should be some time before we catch back up with the beloved character. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
