“The Scene That Broke Me”: Tom Hiddleston on the Loki Line That Still Haunts Him

More Than a Villain

Over more than a decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Hiddleston has transformed Loki from a mischievous villain into one of Marvel’s most layered antiheroes. Now, after closing out Loki’s second season, the actor has revealed the moment that stands above all others in his long run as the God of Mischief—a scene from the very first Thor film that still echoes through his latest work.

The Line That Defined Loki

Speaking with Vanity Fair in March 2024, Hiddleston named his favorite Loki moment: the closing scene of Thor (2011), where Loki, confronting his father Odin, says, “I could have done it, Father. I could have done it for you, for all of us.” For Hiddleston, the line became a touchstone—one he consciously revisited for Loki’s final words in Loki season 2: “I know what I want. I know what kind of god I need to be. For you. For all of us.”

Separated by 14 years, the two moments chart a striking evolution: from a desperate plea for validation to a self-assured declaration of purpose. “It gave it a new meaning,” Hiddleston said, describing how the arc between those two scenes embodies Loki’s growth from a fractured, embittered son into a god with clarity and conviction.

The Early Years: Brotherhood and Villainy

In his early days in the MCU, Hiddleston often pointed to Loki’s dynamic with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as a highlight. In a 2012 interview, he singled out a scene from The Avengers where Loki’s façade of menace briefly cracks in front of his brother, showing the particular “chemistry” that made their relationship so compelling.

By Thor: The Dark World (2013), the emotional scope had deepened. Hiddleston has often cited the prison scene—where Loki and Thor form a fragile alliance after the death of their mother, Frigga—as a turning point. “That scene anchored the film in honesty and emotion, revealing Loki’s grief,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2021.

Roots of a Villain

Hiddleston has also reflected on the moment in Thor when Loki learns he is a Frost Giant—a revelation that fuels his feelings of isolation and marginalization. Speaking to Marvel.com in 2021, he called it “the creation, in a way, of Loki’s status as a villain.” It was the fracture that would drive years of mischief, betrayal, and, eventually, redemption.

The TVA’s Mirror

Not all of Loki’s most powerful moments were born in the films. In the Disney+ series Loki, Hiddleston tackled one of the most emotionally taxing scenes of his career: watching a highlight reel of Loki’s life and death in the Time Variance Authority headquarters, ending with the stark words “End of file.” In a 2024 Backstage interview, he called it “one of the most thrilling challenges I’ve ever had as an actor,” capturing an existential shock that forced Loki—and the audience—to confront the fragility of identity and destiny.

An Actor and a Character, Both Changed

Hiddleston’s shifting list of “favorite” scenes mirrors the arc of Loki himself. In the early years, he gravitated toward moments of charm, cunning, and familial tension. Later, as the role and the man matured, it was the emotional honesty—and the reckoning with identity—that resonated most.

From the raw plea in Thor to the resolute self-definition in Loki season 2, Hiddleston’s journey shows how a single line can echo for over a decade, gaining power with time. For the actor, it’s proof that sometimes the most enduring performances are the ones that cut the deepest—both for the audience and the person delivering them.