Tom Hiddleston leapt to superstardom as Loki, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most suave
and charming villain.
But while Hiddleston seemed poised to become a breakout star, it hasn't panned out just
yet.
So what happened?
Here's a look at why Tom Hiddleston's career might be in serious trouble.
Always second best
Tom Hiddleston has the look and the skill to be a leading man.
At least, fans and critics think so.
Hollywood executives, on the other hand, don't seem to be so sure, as Hiddleston has frequently
come in second even for roles he later ended up landing.
For instance, Hiddleston was only brought on to Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak after
Benedict Cumberbatch dropped out.
He was also the second choice for Only Lovers Left Alive, which originally was supposed
to star Michael Fassbender.
And Hiddleston apparently wasn't even the first actor in line for Loki, with Jim Carrey
reportedly the early favorite for the part.
"Wow, okay."
Hiddleston's reputation as almost, but not quite right, again came to the forefront when
he was rumored to be in the running to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond.
A source told Page Six:
"[Producer] Barbara Broccoli doesn't like Tom Hiddleston, he's a bit too smug and not
tough enough to play James Bond."
Ouch.
Fool me once
When Loki first appeared in 2011's Thor, the character was a breath of fresh air, but it
was 2012's The Avengers that really made Hiddleston a household name.
Still, even the most fun characters are subject to the law of diminishing returns, and by
the time Loki showed up in Infinity War - the character's fifth appearance - at least some
of the magic was gone.
"Puny god."
That's due in part to being eclipsed by bigger, badder, and fresher villains.
While Loki helped create the cool villain template for the MCU, scarier threats like
Cate Blanchett's Hela in Thor: Ragnarok or Josh Brolin's Thanos in Avengers: Infinity
War have raised the bar - and made Loki look kind of tame by comparison.
Whether Loki returns for another Marvel movie or not, Hiddleston's days as the ultimate
big bad guy of the MCU are long over.
Which is a problem because…
He's a one trick pony
Loki may have been a fan favorite, but so far Hiddleston's other attempts to become
a box office star have fallen flat.
In 2015, Crimson Peak flopped at the box office, earning just $31 million domestically off
a $55 million budget.
The following year, Hiddleston failed to capitalize on advance Oscar buzz when I Saw the Light,
in which he played country legend Hank Williams, bombed with both audiences and especially
critics.
In 2017, Hiddleston continued the streak with the weak performance of Kong: Skull Island,
which earned $168 million domestically against a $185 million budget.
To be fair, the film did significantly better overseas, and there has been talk of a possible
sequel.
But even when he takes one step forward, he seems to take two steps back, which brings
us to…
That speech
2017 should have been the turning point for Hiddleston.
Not only was Kong a minor success internationally, he also got some love from the Hollywood Foreign
Press, winning a Golden Globe for his performance in the mini-series The Night Manager.
However, that went off the rails thanks to a speech that had critics trashing Hiddleston
for being out of touch when he talked about relief workers in war torn South Sudan being
excited to meet him.
"They wanted to say hello, because during the shelling of the previous month, they have
binge-watched the Night Manager."
Some found the speech bizarrely self satisfied, prompting an apology from Hiddleston, who
wrote on Facebook
"I completely agree that my speech at the Golden Globes last night was inelegantly expressed.
In truth, I was very nervous, and my words just came out wrong.
[...] My only intention was to salute the incredible bravery and courage of the men
and women who work so tirelessly [...] and the children of South Sudan, who continue
to find hope and joy in the most difficult conditions."
But by that point, Hiddleston had already lost the benefit of the doubt with fans and
the media, thanks in large part to - of all things - a silly t-shirt.
The Taylor Swift effect
In 2016, Tom Hiddleston embarked on a three month relationship with Taylor Swift, and
his career - and reputation - have never fully recovered.
Right from the start, the pair were dogged with accusations that it was all a PR stunt.
"SAY MY NAME!"
But if it was, Hiddleston learned all too quickly that not all publicity is good publicity
when paparazzi infamously photographed him wearing a t-shirt that said "I [Heart] T.S."
Hiddleston told GQ,
"It was a joke among friends.
[…] I was just surprised that it got so much attention.
The tank top became an emblem of this thing."
Fan reaction and tabloid coverage was so intensely negative that, according to GQ, his family
began to worry about him.
What now?
Given the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, and his Golden Globe
win for The Night Manager, you'd think that Hiddleston would be in high demand.
You'd apparently be wrong, though, because he doesn't seem to have much lined up at all
- especially compared to contemporaries like Benedict Cumberbatch, who has a similar resume
but far more work lined up.
So where does Hiddleston go from here?
Hopefully, like Loki, he has a few tricks up his sleeve - because otherwise, his career
as a leading man might turn out to be just an illusion.
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