Loki Marvel Character Guide: Who He Is and Who Plays Him
Loki in Marvel is Thor's brother and an Asgardian prince, played by Tom Hiddleston in Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He is the main villain of the first Avengers film, and he also turns up in a post credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).
Who Plays Loki?
Who Is Loki in Marvel?
Loki is the Asgardian prince and trickster who schemes against, and later beside, his brother Thor, and Tom Hiddleston plays him in Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He is billed third in the first Thor film, behind Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, and third again in both Thor sequels. In The Avengers he drops to seventh in a crowded ensemble led by Robert Downey Jr., and in Infinity War he is billed thirteenth, which shows how large the cast had grown by 2018.
Thor (2011), directed by Kenneth Branagh, introduces him as the brother who follows Thor into the Frost Giants' realm against Odin's orders, after the Frost Giants try to steal a relic from Asgard's vault. Anthony Hopkins plays Odin, the king whose decisions set the stakes for both brothers.
His best known weapon is his scepter. In The Avengers (2012), directed by Joss Whedon, it lets him take over the minds of Erik Selvig and Clint Barton, which is how one god with an alien army behind him becomes a threat to the whole planet. If you are new to the saga, the marvel movies in order guide shows where each of his films sits, and the marvel characters index links to the people around him.
Loki Films
Loki's Story Arc Across the MCU FilmsSpoilers
Loki's arc runs from jealous prince to invader, then to reluctant ally and finally to a brother who stands with Thor, and it spans five main films. So, is Loki a villain or a hero in Marvel? The films answer both: he is the antagonist in 2011 and 2012, an uneasy ally in 2013 and a partner in 2017.
Thor (2011). Odin banishes Thor to Earth without his powers, then falls into a deep sleep, and Loki takes the throne. He learns that he is a Frost Giant by birth and was adopted by Odin, and he sends the Destroyer to Earth to kill Thor. He then plans to use the Frost Giants' king to kill Odin, and to wipe out Jotunheim with the Bifrost bridge. Thor destroys the Bifrost to stop him, Odin wakes, and Loki lets himself fall into space. In the post credits scene, Nick Fury shows Selvig a glowing cube, and Loki, unseen by the others, pushes Selvig's mind to agree to help.
The Avengers (2012). Loki has agreed with the Other to deliver the Tesseract in return for a Chitauri army. He steals the cube from a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, enslaves Selvig, Barton and others with his scepter, and forces a crowd in Stuttgart to kneel. He surrenders to Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff, and Thor arrives hoping to take his brother home. Loki escapes after killing Agent Coulson, then uses the Tesseract and a machine built by Selvig to open a portal over Stark Tower, and the Chitauri invade New York. Romanoff closes the portal with the scepter, and Thor takes Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard. The film took $1.52 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
Thor: The Dark World (2013). Directed by Alan Taylor, this film opens with Loki locked up in Asgard. After Malekith's raid on Asgard kills Frigga, Thor frees Loki because only he knows a secret route to Svartalfheim. Loki appears to die while helping them. The last scene shows that he is alive and has taken Odin's form on the throne.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Directed by Taika Waititi, the film begins with Thor discovering that Loki has been posing as Odin. He forces Loki to help find the real king, and they find Odin in Norway. Odin's death frees Hela, who destroys Mjolnir and throws both brothers into space. Thor, Bruce Banner, Valkyrie and Loki later escape Sakaar in a ship and free the other gladiators, then return to fight Hela. Loki places Surtur's crown in the Eternal Flame, Surtur is reborn and destroys Asgard along with Hela, and Thor and Loki make peace. The mid credits scene shows the Asgardian ship stopped by a huge spacecraft that later films link to Thanos.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Loki's last main film appearance is the opening ambush, in which Thanos attacks the Asgardian ship and takes the Space Stone from him.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). Loki returns in the post credits scene, where he and Mobius meet a Kang variant named Victor Timely at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, using footage from the Loki series. See antman and the wasp quantumania for the film itself.
Loki's Relationships: Thor, Odin, Thanos and Others
Loki's most important relationship is with Thor, and the films treat the brothers as a pair that keeps splitting and reuniting. Chris Hemsworth plays Thor, and the full profile is on the thor marvel character page. Thor wants to take Loki home in The Avengers (2012), frees him in Thor: The Dark World (2013), and makes peace with him in Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
Odin and Frigga. Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins, adopted Loki, and the reveal that Loki is a Frost Giant by birth drives the first Thor film. Loki later takes Odin's place on the throne in disguise, a trick that runs from the end of The Dark World through the start of Ragnarok. Rene Russo plays Frigga, Thor's mother, whose death in Malekith's raid is the reason Thor needs Loki's help.
The people he controls. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and clint barton hawkeye are both enslaved by his scepter in The Avengers. Coulson (Clark Gregg) is killed by Loki. natasha romanoff closes the portal he opens, and bruce banner hulk is aboard the Helicarrier when Loki's forces attack it.
Hela and the Sakaar crew. Cate Blanchett plays Hela, Odin's imprisoned first child, who throws Loki and Thor into space. On Sakaar, Loki joins Thor, Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) in the escape.
The Other and Thanos. The Other (Alexis Denisof) supplies the army Loki was promised. A scene during the credits of The Avengers shows the Other reporting the failed attack to his master, who is thanos marvel, played by Josh Brolin from Infinity War. Those ties come back when Thanos finally meets Loki in Infinity War.
What Happens to Loki? Who Kills Him?Spoilers
Loki's last scene in the main films comes in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, when Thanos ambushes the Asgardian ship, takes the Space Stone from him and leaves the survivors dead. The film took $2.05 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
How old is Loki when he dies? Marvel Studios has never published an official age for him, so no number can be given. What the films do show is that he is an adopted Frost Giant raised by Odin among Asgardians, and that he dies in that opening ambush.
The films had written him off twice before. In Thor (2011), he lets himself fall into space and Odin and Thor mourn him. In Thor: The Dark World (2013), he appears to die while helping Thor, and the final scene shows he is alive and has taken Odin's form. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) then ends with the brothers at peace.
The Quantumania post credits scene shows a Loki alongside Mobius at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, but it uses footage from the Loki series. For what comes next in the saga, see the avengers doomsday page.
Loki's Best Moments in the Films
These are my picks, and they are opinion. In my opinion, the strongest Loki scenes are the ones where he is smaller than the plan around him.
The Stuttgart kneel in The Avengers (2012). Loki forces a crowd to kneel while Barton steals a material needed to power the cube. It is the clearest picture of what his scepter and his ambition can do to ordinary people, and Rogers, Stark and Romanoff confront him there.
The throne reveal in Thor: The Dark World (2013). After a film in which he seems to die helping Thor, the last scene shows him on Odin's throne in Odin's form. It could be argued that this is the cleanest sting in the first two Thor films, because it makes you doubt every sad moment that came before.
Surtur's crown in Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Loki places the crown in the Eternal Flame, and Surtur is reborn to destroy Asgard and Hela with it. I think this is where the trickster finally does something useful for his brother, and it makes the peace that follows feel earned.
The Selvig push in Thor (2011). The post credits scene gives him a single quiet act, nudging Selvig's mind from out of sight, and it sets up The Avengers (2012). Perhaps it lasts only a few seconds, but it tells you where the character is headed.
If you want the arc in one sitting, watch Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012) first, then follow the Thor sequels, using the marvel movies in order page to check where they fall.
Facts
- Thor (2011) was released in the US on May 6, 2011. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Tom Hiddleston is billed third as Loki in Thor (2011), directed by Kenneth Branagh. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- The Avengers (2012) was released in the US on May 4, 2012. The Hollywood Reporter, checked 2026-11-03
- Tom Hiddleston is billed seventh as Loki in The Avengers (2012), directed by Joss Whedon. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- The Avengers (2012) grossed $1,520,538,536 worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Thor: The Dark World (2013) was released in the US on November 8, 2013. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017), directed by Taika Waititi, was released in the US on November 3, 2017. The Walt Disney Company, checked 2026-11-03
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018) was released in the US on April 27, 2018. D23 (Disney), checked 2026-11-03
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018) grossed $2,052,415,039 worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
FAQs
Is Loki a villain or hero in Marvel?
Both, depending on the film. Loki is the antagonist of Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012), an uneasy ally to Thor in Thor: The Dark World (2013), and a partner in the escape from Sakaar and the fight against Hela in Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
Who kills Loki in Avengers?
Thanos. In Avengers: Infinity War (2018), he ambushes the Asgardian ship, takes the Space Stone from Loki and leaves the survivors dead. Earlier films only appear to end Loki, in Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013).
How old is Loki when he dies?
Marvel Studios has never published an official age for Loki, so no number can be given. He dies in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), when Thanos ambushes the Asgardian ship and takes the Space Stone from him.
Who is Loki on Marvel?
Loki is Thor's brother, an Asgardian prince adopted by Odin and born a Frost Giant. Tom Hiddleston plays him in Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Is the Loki series a hit or a flop?
The Loki series is a Disney+ show, outside the theatrical films, so there is no film-side verdict on it. It does connect once: footage from it appears in the post credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), where Loki and Mobius meet Victor Timely at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
What powers does Loki have in the MCU films?
Loki takes over minds with his scepter in The Avengers (2012), pushes Erik Selvig's mind in the post credits scene of Thor (2011), and takes Odin's form in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017). He is also a Frost Giant by birth, as Thor (2011) reveals.