With the rise of antiheroes in shows such as Disney+’s Loki and Dexter: New Blood, audiences now have a wide variety of characters to cheer for. According to a new Variety interview with Tom Hiddleston and Michael C. Hall, their characters are not completely evil after all.
The Norse god of mischief Loki, played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Hiddleston, has always been a fan-favorite despite his status as a somewhat morally gray villain.
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“I understand the audience sees good in Loki – they want him to get past his internal and external obstacles,” Hiddleston says about the character. “They want him to repair that relationship with his brother and step into the hero that he can be.”
Modern audiences like to latch onto characters that possess the traits of “antiheroes,” characters who lack the conventional traits of a hero like courage and morals but still have redeeming qualities.
Playing complex characters can pose a challenge for the actors.
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Loki was awarded his highly anticipated redemption arc in the titular Disney+ miniseries from earlier this year.
“It’s exciting to retain all the characteristics that makes Loki, Loki, and at the same time to play slightly different music within him,” Hiddleston says.
On the other hand, Hall, who plays the iconic role of Dexter, has not quite reached his redemption phase yet. In the new reboot, Dexter: New Blood, the character is now isolated and less willing to rationalize his actions.
“He’s someone who’s been contending with the collateral damage of his behavior,” Hall says. “If Dexter were a total sociopath, he would’ve disappeared from Miami and just continued killing. But the fact is, he hasn’t.
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“He has some sense of responsibility that he’s taking. He’s telling himself a story about himself that is quite different from the one he was telling when we met him way back when. He does refer to himself as a monster, but an evolving monster.”
Let us know your thoughts on which antiheroes deserve redemption arcs in the comments below.