Tom Hiddleston has revealed that he was punched by his on-screen Marvel brother Chris Hemsworth while shooting a scene for the first Avengers movie.
The relationship between Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki has been a contentious one ever since they made their debut in the God of Thunder’s first movie in 2011. That relationship came to a head in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, in which Chris Hemsworth’s Thor found himself trying the thwart the Earth-threatening plans of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.
As to be expected, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki found themselves in more than one physical altercation in The Avengers. However, one such Avengers scene proved difficult to sell and on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Tom Hiddleston mentioned that he suggested Chris Hemsworth actually punch him for the shot. Here’s what Tom Hiddleston told the host:
“There was a scene in Avengers where Thor had to strike Loki across the face and I was wearing the horns, which weigh about 30 pounds. 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.'”
As Tom Hiddleston recalled, requesting to be punched by Chris Hemsworth for The Avengers scene was a huge mistake. “It’s a terrible idea. I went down like a stone,” the actor said.
Tom Hiddleston is set to reprise his role as the God of Mischief in the highly-anticipated Marvel Studios series Loki for the Disney Plus streaming service. The series will feature Tom Hiddleston as the past version of Loki (who escaped custody by using the Space Stone during the Avengers’ time heist) and follow the character as he becomes embroiled in historical events.
Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth will return as Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder opposite Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman. Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder will be based on Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor comic book run, with Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster becoming the new Thor. The movie opens in theaters on November 5, 2021.
Source: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (via NME)