Tom Hiddleston plays prankster in pain as Loki in “Thor”

SAN DIEGO — English actor Tom Hiddleston plays the younger brother to the god of thunder in “Thor,” based on the Marvel comic. Known as the god of mischief, Loki both admires and is jealous of his older brother.

A character based on the Norse god Loki first appeared in Marvel Comics in the 1940s. He was brought into the “Thor” mythos in “Journey Into Mystery” No. 85, in October 1962.

The movie, directed by Kenneth Branagh, opens Friday in theaters.

Hiddleston said he and Branagh discussed the various facets of Loki presented in the comics. While Loki is often considered one of the Marvel universe’s greatest villains, his villainy often is rooted in family conflict.

“There was kind of an agent of chaos who would go down to Earth and turn whales into sea serpents and plows into dragons and whole streets of cars in New York into ice cream,” Hiddleston said. “But then there was also this damaged brother, this younger brother who didn’t receive as much love as his elder brother and who was passed over, rejected, betrayed, and I think that became really interesting for both of us actually.”

In “Thor,” Loki’s brother Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is banished to Earth by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Loki takes advantage of the situation and attempts to maneuver himself closer to the throne of Asgard.

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