The Surprising ’80s Superhero Inspiration Behind Tom Hiddleston’s Legendary Loki

If you ever wondered why Tom Hiddleston’s Loki in the Marvel movies hits just the right blend of charming and unhinged, there’s a very specific reason—and it might surprise you. In a recent podcast chat, Hiddleston let slip a pretty wild bit of trivia about where he pulled those sinister-but-fun vibes from. Turns out, he basically had Jack Nicholson’s Joker bouncing around his head the whole time he was first figuring Loki out.

A Trickster With a Grin

So here’s the gist: Hiddleston went on the 'Happy Sad Confused' podcast and straight-up admitted that Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman was a game-changer for him as a kid. Specifically, it was Jack Nicholson’s flamboyant, cackling Joker that really dug into his psyche.

In his words:

'Truthfully, I don’t think I would’ve played Loki without that film. I think the way Jack Nicholson played the Joker was so… at the time in my life when I saw it, it made such an impact on my imagination.'

He added that Nicholson’s Joker managed to be both obviously the bad guy and 'having such a good time… and he was so charismatic and so inventive and so free.' If you’ve watched Hiddleston’s take on Loki, you’ll recognize exactly that. Loki is always having a bit more fun than anyone else in the room—exactly the kind of thing Nicholson would have approved of.

How the Joker DNA Got Into Loki

Hiddleston didn’t just keep those Joker influences in the back of his head; he actually tested them out while filming Thor. He and director Kenneth Branagh apparently played around with several wild approaches before locking in what became the definitive MCU Loki. Hiddleston called one performance style literally 'a Jack Nicholson take, where I was having the most fun in the room.' It’s not hard to see how some of that experimental energy bled straight into Loki’s chaotic charisma.

It's Not Just Joker—There’s a Hall of Fame in Loki’s DNA

Funny enough, this isn’t the first time Hiddleston has tipped his hat to classic movie villains as inspiration. Back in a 2013 EW interview, he namedropped not just Jack Nicholson, but also Alan Rickman in Die Hard and James Mason in North by Northwest. It’s basically a murderer’s row of legendary bad guys, and Hiddleston’s been stealing tricks from all of them. But the Joker, by his own admission, made the biggest early splash.

The Many Faces of Loki

If you’re curious about just how much Hiddleston threw at the wall with Loki, here’s a rundown of the performance styles he and Branagh riffed with during those first days on Thor:

• 'The Jack Nicholson take' — Maximum fun, maximum chaos.
• 'The Peter O'Toole take' — More regal, with a touch of tortured drama.
• 'The Clint Eastwood take' — Quiet menace, smoldering under the surface.

Basically, Branagh had his pick in the editing room, which helped keep Loki unpredictable—and, honestly, audiences have eaten it up ever since.

What’s Next for the God of Mischief?

If you’re keeping track: Loki was last seen reworking the fabric of the multiverse (no biggie) in season 2 of his own Disney+ show, now holding the title 'God of Time.' Hiddleston is lined up to appear again in Avengers: Doomsday, so expect plenty more of that charming villain energy—straight from the Nicholson playbook, apparently.

So the next time you see Loki flash that grin before messing everything up? Thank the 1989 Batman, and one very memorable (and green-haired) performance.