While Thor and especially Loki get in some japes in the pages of Marvel's comics, Kevin Feige explains how the movies made the two godly brothers even funnier.
Feige was asked about the decision to make Thor and Loki funnier in the MCU than the comics during a Marvel Comics press conference. For the Marvel Studios head, the choice wasn't necessarily calculated but rather grew out of the traits of the actors behind the roles.
"I think they all had a certain amount of humor in the comics over the many decades. But the answer comes down to the performers and to the remarkable talents of Mr. Hemsworth and Mr. Hiddleston, and the range of talents, to be very RADA-trained [Royal Academy of Dramatic Art], Shakespearean and also hilarious," Feige said. "Or, in the case of Hemsworth, just to... have the dramatic chops and the humor and embracing all of the above. So, it wasn't necessarily a conscious plan to say, 'Let's make them even funnier now.' They've just always been funny. We took that from behind the scenes and decided we wanted to put it on camera over the more recent years."
While Loki's trickster nature means he's naturally going to crack wise, Thor being funny wasn't always a guarantee. His first film, however, played with the idea of him being a himbo out of water, which led to plenty of laughs. It wasn't until Thor: Ragnarok, however, that the two characters—and the actors playing them—really got to make audiences roll on the floor.
A big part of the shift was thanks to director and writer Taika Waititi, who seemed to bring out the funniest side of his actors. And early looks at Thor: Love and Thunder include plenty of goofy elements that point to another hilarious film with the Asgardians. Meanwhile, this week's debut of Loki will allow Hiddleston to comedically spar with Owen Wilson.
Loki stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Lexus Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15 and Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane and Eugene Cordero in undisclosed roles. New episodes premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.
Source: Marvel Studios press conference