Loki Won't Appear In 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron,' Says Actor Tom Hiddleston

Tom Hiddleston may have stolen the show in the first “Avengers” film, but the Norse god of mischief will be notably absent in the “Avengers” sequel launching in 2015. According to an EW interview with Hiddleston, the beloved Loki won’t be back in the next “Avengers” film.

"He's not in it," Hiddleston told EW. "Here's the thing: I don’t think there’s anything else Loki could contribute to 'The Avengers,' narratively. Joss [Whedon, director] gave me so many wonderful things to do in that first film that we'd only be trying to repeat ourselves, and probably less well in the second one."

For anyone doubting Hiddleston’s word, Whedon confirmed the news in a separate interview with Empire magazine. Instead of Loki as the big bad, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” plans to focus on a different Marvel villain: the genocidal android Ultron.

"Everyone is going to be looking for the Loki-Hulk smash moment," Whedon told Empire Magazine in June. "First of all, imitating what I did before is the surest way to do it not as well. Second of all, Loki's not there to say those terrible things."

While Loki may not return in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Hiddleston says the trickster god will have plenty of screentime in this year’s “Thor: The Dark World,” which just released a new trailer on Wednesday.

“Oh, I’ve got plenty to do in Thor [2], believe me. A lot of new stuff. It’s a new iteration of the character,” Hiddleston said. "It’s a new development. Another trick, another poker game for the god of mischief. And he plays it well.”

The last two times Loki has been onscreen (in the first “Thor” as well as last year’s “The Avengers”) Hiddleston has played him as an outright villain, but “Thor: The Dark World” seems to be shifting Thor and Loki into an uneasy alliance. The change of pace should be great for Hiddleston to flex his acting chops, and a more sympathetic Loki is bound to please the character’s fans. Of course, it’s also heavily foreshadowed that Loki will betray his brother, so don’t expect too much of the family dynamic to change.

If you’re hungry for more Loki, check out the trailer for “Thor 2: The Dark World” below.