It's no secret that Tom Hiddleston auditioned for the title role in Thor before being cast as Loki, but it seems Marvel Studios wanted to keep its options open.
During a recent appearance on the Seaman Says podcast (via The Direct), the Loki star revealed that a unique clause was written into the first contract he signed way back in 2009.
"It was really curious," Hiddleston started. "This is very much par for the course in the business, but I signed...basically, they pre-negotiated my contract before going in [for the audition] and I signed it."
"But I noticed on that morning, it said, 'Marvel Studios has the right to cast Tom Hiddleston in the role of...' and there was a blank. And somebody had written, 'Thor/Loki.'"
Chris Hemsworth was, of course, ultimately cast as the MCU's God of Thunder and it's now impossible to imagine anyone else in either role. Hiddleston went on to share his belief that this contract was unique to him, suggesting Marvel Studios was keeping the door open to him being their Thor if things didn't work out with the then-unknown Australian actor.
"I was like, 'Oh, I wonder if anyone else’s says that,'" he recalled. "I don’t think they did, to be honest."
"And after that, very shortly, they called Chris Hemsworth and me on the same day and they said, 'Look, we’re gonna build these two characters together, introduce them at the same time, and you’re gonna have this massive journey.' Because also, Chris and I, we thought we were auditioning for one movie."
"And I remember being called in to Kevin Feige’s office for the first time, and he said, 'Look, congratulations...Loki is a great role and Thor’s going to be a great movie, but I want to talk to you about Avengers.'
Feige then laid out his entire Phase 1 plan, culminating with Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembling in The Avengers to battle Loki. "[I] literally, sort of, floated out of that meeting," Hiddeston admits. "Life is about to change radically, and it did."
Following his defeat in the 2012 movie, Loki returned in Thor: The Dark World and stole the throne from Odin after faking his death. He'd then be exposed in Thor: Ragnarok before dying at Thanos' hands in Avengers: Infinity War.
A trip back in time in Avengers: Endgame gave the villain a second chance, though, and Loki followed his journey from villain to being the God of Stories sitting at the centre of the Multiverse.
Do you think Hiddleston would have made a good Thor?