Loki‘s Tom Hiddleston convinced his wife to make the jump into the MCU.
Hiddleston is engaged to actress Zawe Ashton, who will be playing villain Dar-Benn in the upcoming Captain Marvel, sequel The Marvels. The original character has only appeared in three comic issues and was actually a male in their original incarnation.
Besides those slight details, not much else is known about what the big bad has in store for Carol Danvers and her new team.
Talking MCU With Tom Hiddleston
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Marvels star Zawe Ashton spoke about her conversations with her fiancé, Tom Hiddleston, and how his words helped her join the MCU.
Ashton noted that getting the role in the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel “led to some incredible conversations” with Hiddleston:
“It led to some incredible conversations about his experience being part of this franchise for over a decade… [including some] very good [advice about having] enough zippers to go to the bathroom [in her costume].”
The star admitted that her fiancé “really empowered [her]” with the advice and information he imparted to her:
“One of the main takeaways from our conversations was ‘What you put into Marvel, you get back.’ He said, ‘If you go into this with an open heart and a great work ethic and just want to provide an amazing experience for the fans, you’ll have an amazing experience on those sets.’ He really empowered me in that way.”
The conversation then pivoted to her prep for the role, where she shared that the empowerment given by director Nia DaCosta and the stunt team “was life-changing:”
“I was saying how much I was loving working out and getting physically strong, and she was like, ’Whatever you do, please do not turn up here on day one looking like a pencil!’… That was the most freeing thing as a performer who thought the only way to be on camera in movies like this is to present aesthetically in a certain way. Having Nia’s empowerment — and the empowerment of the stunt team — to know that it’s about your mental attitude, your agility, and your strength was life-changing.”
How Tom Hiddleston’s Passion for the MCU Wins Again
Zawe Ashton and Tom Hiddleston seem like a good pairing. The duo recently had a child, so everything looks to be going great on their end.
Hiddleston always seems to be thrilled to talk about the MCU—just ask Owen Wilson. Given his passion, it’s not surprising that he was able to turn his wife on to the idea.
But one can’t help but wonder: will the happy couple’s Marvel characters ever meet?
The odds don’t look great, seeing as the two are currently occupying different corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ashton’s villain also doesn’t scream re-occurring threat, so odds are by the end of The Marvels, she’ll be out of commission.
Though, who knows—perhaps Marvel Studios is looking to surprise audiences.
The Marvels lands in theaters on November 10.
