Tom Hiddleston said it “completely changed my life” when he landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The 45-year-old actor skyrocketed to international fame in 2011 after making his debut as villain Loki in the superhero film Thor.

Hiddleston has continued to portray the character in subsequent Marvel films and his own Disney+ series, and will also reprise the role in upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday.

In an interview with Esquire UK, the actor said: “I had an opportunity to play a very complex role in a film at a scale I never had the chance to do before.

“I don’t think it’s too much to say that it has completely changed my life.”

The star had built an award-winning reputation in British theatre and had previously appeared in films before being cast as Loki – but that role launched him to mainstream global stardom.

He told the magazine: “Once you cross that bridge, you can’t re-cross it.”

“You have to acclimatise because it’s an unusual experience. But I quickly became really aware of just trying to hold onto my ordinary self,” he said.

Hiddleston explained that he tries to “keep my feet on the ground” by understanding experiences “from my point of view in a very ordinary way”.

He said: “It’s not a magic trick.

“Holding onto the honesty of what the work is actually keeps you very grounded when you’re a public person.

“I think I have experienced all weathers.”

The award-winning actor has since appeared in films beyond the MCU including I Saw The Light, Midnight In Paris and War Horse, as well as TV series such as The Night Manager and The Hollow Crown.

He has also continued his theatre work with notable roles in Shakespearean productions of Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, and met his partner Zawe Ashton while starring together in a stage revival of Betrayal.

The couple got engaged in 2022 and also welcomed their first child that year, and their second child was born in 2025.

Reflecting on how fatherhood has “completely changed” his life, Hiddleston said: “It’s changed the centre of meaning in my life.

“It’s the most important thing I’ll ever do, the most important role I’ll ever play.

“And to be there for them, alongside them. It’s… it’s… heaven.”

He added: “I don’t think I could have ever been prepared for how your heart expands, becoming a parent.

“You just feel more of everything. You feel more deeply… it’s a love like no other… You’re just more alive.”

The full interview can be read in the November/December issue of Esquire UK, which is on sale from October 14.