Tom Hiddleston Letter To Joss Whedon Compares ‘Avengers’ Loki To ‘Die Hard’ Villain

The Avengers not only established the Joss Whedon-directed super hero franchise as the new 800-pound gorilla on the movie block, it also gave British actor Tom Hiddleston his defining moment as Loki. Hiddleston knew returning to the role of Thor’s evil adopted brother was something special immediately after reading the script. This resulted in a letter to Whedon where he compared the character to a Die Hard favorite villain.

The letter is part of the upcoming Joss Whedon: The Biography book releasing on August 1st. Business Insider was provided with an exclusive excerpt revealing just how giddy Hiddleston was over The Avengers script.

Joss, I am so excited I can hardly speak.

The first time I read it I grabbed at it like Charlie Bucket snatching for a golden ticket somewhere behind the chocolate in the wrapper of a Wonka Bar. I didn’t know where to start. Like a classic actor I jumped in looking for LOKI on every page, jumping back and forth, reading words in no particular order, utterances imprinting themselves like flash-cuts of newspaper headlines in my mind: “real menace”; “field of obeisance”; “discontented, nothing is enough”; “his smile is nothing but a glimpse of his skull”; “Puny god”.

… Thank you for writing me my Hans Gruber. But a Hans Gruber with super-magic powers. As played by James Mason… It’s high operatic villainy alongside detached throwaway tongue-in-cheek; plus the “real menace” and his closely guarded suitcase of pain. It’s grand and epic and majestic and poetic and lyrical and wicked and rich and badass and might possibly be the most gloriously fun part I’ve ever stared down the barrel of playing. It is just so juicy.

I love how throughout you continue to put Loki on some kind of pedestal of regal magnificence and then consistently tear him down. He gets battered, punched, blasted, side-swiped, roared at, sent tumbling on his back, and every time he gets back up smiling, wickedly, never for a second losing his eloquence, style, wit, self-aggrandisement or grandeur, and you never send him up or deny him his real intelligence…. That he loves to make an entrance; that he has a taste for the grand gesture, the big speech, the spectacle. I might be biased, but I do feel as though you have written me the coolest part.

… But really I’m just sending you a transatlantic shout-out and fist-bump, things that traditionally British actors probably don’t do. It’s epic.

Whedon responded in turn.

Tom, this is one of those emails you keep forever. Thanks so much. It’s more articulate (and possibly longer) than the script. I couldn’t be more pleased at your reaction, but I’ll also tell you I’m still working on it… Thank you again. I’m so glad you’re pleased. Absurd fun to ensue.

Best, (including uncharacteristic fist bump), joss.

While Loki was first introduced in 2011’s Thor, The Avengers was undoubtedly the best characterization of the villain to date. Hiddleston has spoken often of his love for the Marvel films and appeared to thoroughly enjoy playing the Norse God of Mischief.

Unfortunately, if Hiddleston’s Loki will not return for Whedon’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and sounds unlikely for Avengers 3. Thor 3 is pretty much guaranteed in Marvel’s upcoming slate of movies based on Thor: The Dark World, though.

What do you think of Hiddleston’s letter to Whedon? Is Loki a defining role for him the same way that Hans Gruber was for Alan Rickman in Die Hard? Sound off in the comments below.

[Images via The Avengers, Die Hard]