Getting the casting right is a huge piece of the puzzle when making a movie, and one minor tweak in the cast can have huge repercussions for any project. Franchises like Star Wars and the Fast and Furious know how to land the right talent for each role, and because of this, they are able to shine bright whenever they hit theaters and dominate the box office.
Jim Carrey may not seem like someone who would appear in a superhero movie, but once upon a time, the MCU was interested in bringing him on board. Naturally, this would have changed things drastically, and while Carrey could have done some cool things, the right man got the job.
Let’s take a look and see which MCU villain Jim Carrey was considered for!
He Was In Consideration For Loki
In the earlier stages of the MCU, the franchise was looking to get characters involved that could last for more than one film, and it was important to land actors who could bring a character to life in a convincing way while getting over with audiences. During this time, none other than Jim Carrey was in consideration for the character Loki.
This was all taking place during Phase One of the MCU, meaning that a lot of what we got to see wasn’t even in play yet. Before Thor hit theaters and introduced some key characters, there had only been 3 films released in the franchise. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man 2 were successful releases that got the ball rolling, and the announcement of Thor got people into a frenzy.
Prior to being in consideration for the role of Loki, Jim Carrey had appeared in a comic book movie before. Whether people realize it or not, The Mask was, in fact, based on a comic book run, and the mask used in the film was created by none other than Loki himself!
Carrey had flexed his range on the big screen by this point, steering away from exclusively comedic roles to take part in movies that allowed him to do something a bit different. Clearly, Marvel thought that he could hit the comedic moments for the character while also being able to crank up the dramatics for any scene that called for it.
Despite this, the studio would ultimately continue on their search for the right person to play Loki.
Tom Hiddleston Gets The Gig
Sometimes, things work out in ways that we may never expect, and for Tom Hiddleston, this was precisely the case when it came to landing the role of Loki in the MCU. He has been a perfect fit as the character, but back before he was officially cast in the role, he had actually auditioned for the role of Thor.
This may come as a surprise to people, but Marvel was interested in bringing Hiddleston on board for the God of Thunder as opposed to the God of Mischief. Once Chris Hemsworth staked his claim as the character, the franchise was still able to find a good fit for Hiddleston as Thor’s brother.
When speaking to Jimmy Fallon about the audition process, Hiddleston would say, “At the time, they were looking for sort of less well-established actors so that the audience didn't have an association. They just wanted people to see these new characters, these new actors. The remit was if you were over six foot and you've got blonde hair, you could come and have a pop at it. I never auditioned for Loki, I only ever auditioned for Thor, which is nuts."
Without ever giving an audition, Hiddleston landed the role of Loki and he never looked back.
Loki’s Show Debuts In May
As we got to see through the first few phases of the MCU, Loki was an incredible character who played a huge part in everything that happened. Hiddleston was brilliant in the role, and Disney has decided to find a new avenue for the character to thrive.
It was recently announced that a Loki series will be debuting on Disney+ in 2021. It will come on the heels of two other MCU shows on the platform, meaning that Marvel fans are in for a huge treat all throughout 2021.
Hiddleston will be reprising his now iconic character, and if the previews for the project have anything to say, then this show is going to blow people away each week.
Jim Carrey could have done some cool things as Loki, but Tom Hiddleston wound up being the perfect person for the job.