Tom Hiddleston Just Gave ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Fans Their Marvel Homework Assignment

Marvel fans have spent the better part of a year theorizing about how the sprawling cast of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ will fit together, and the anticipation has only grown louder as the film’s release date creeps closer. With Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men characters all sharing the same screen, the Russo brothers and writers Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely are tasked with balancing an enormous ensemble that includes Shuri, Shang-Chi, and several of the original X-Men.

Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief is part of that packed roster, and his comeback carries its own weight of expectation. Hiddleston is set to reprise his role as Loki in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ which arrives in theaters on December 18. That return has fans wondering just how much backstory they need before walking into the theater.

According to a post shared by the account Cosmic Marvel, Hiddleston addressed that exact question directly. The actor was quoted saying, “I would always say, if you haven’t watched it, go and do so. And, if you haven’t watched it before Doomsday, go and watch it again.”

The comment came from an exclusive conversation Hiddleston had with TechRadar, where the actor, who has played Loki in the MCU since 2010, said he “will always say that people need to watch” his standalone series. Notably, though, Hiddleston stopped short of confirming that watching ‘Loki’ is strictly required before seeing ‘Doomsday’, leaving the door open to interpretation rather than delivering a flat mandate.

That kind of careful non answer tracks with how ‘Loki’ fits into the bigger picture. The Disney Plus series, one of only a handful of Marvel shows to land a second season, initially built its story around Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror before Marvel pivoted toward Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. Now, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ appears to be doubling down on that Loki lore, making him an important figure in the new film’s story.

For anyone who has not touched the franchise since ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ that gap in continuity matters. Loki’s fate had been left uncertain after his death in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and a variant’s escape following the events after, and much of what happened in between plays out across the two seasons of his solo show.

Hiddleston’s cryptic hint has not stopped speculation about his screen time either. Some rumors suggest Loki may only appear in a handful of scenes, though given the character’s long history in the franchise, few expect him to be sidelined for long. With ‘Doomsday’ shaping up to be one of the most jam packed crossovers Marvel has ever attempted, Hiddleston’s advice feels less like a throwaway line and more like a genuine heads up for anyone hoping to keep track of who Loki has become.

Are you planning to rewatch ‘Loki’ before ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ hits theaters, or do you think Hiddleston’s character will get enough of a recap onscreen?