Without Tim Burton’s “Batman,” Marvel fans would not have the Loki they know and love today. At least, that’s what Tom Hiddleston himself thinks.
The “Night Manager” and MCU star appeared on the latest episode of Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast this week and, though he dutifully avoided talking about “Avengers: Doomsday” in any real detail, he did reflect on his run as the God of Mischief. At one point, Hiddleston named “Batman” as his favorite comic book movie ever (at least, that he isn’t in).
“Truthfully, I don’t think I would’ve played Loki without that film,” Hiddleston said.
Of course, there are many onscreen iterations of the Caped Crusader, but Hiddleston was very specifically referring to the 1989 film by Burton. For him, Jack Nicholson’s take on the Joker left an indelible mark.
“It made such an impact on my imagination. I understood he was the villain, but he was having such a good time. That could describe somebody else I know,” Hiddleston said coyly, clearly making a reference to his own character.
“And he was so charismatic, and he was so inventive, and so free,” he continued. “But I also loved Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne and Batman, and I loved their dynamic. And I think, probably, when I came to play Loki for the first time, I consciously carried Jack Nicholson in my mind.”
Hiddleston then revealed that he and director Kenneth Branagh would often do various takes of Loki while filming “Thor,” and each one would be a tribute to a different actor. Hiddleston was quick to clarify that it wouldn’t be an imitation of the actors, just channeling their style.
Among the various Loki takes, there would be Clint Eastwood versions, Peter O’Toole versions and, naturally, Jack Nicholson takes.
You can watch Hiddleston’s full appearance on “Happy Sad Confused in the video above.
