Tom Hiddleston executive produces and stars as the title character in Marvel Studios’ Loki. In the MCU, he has portrayed the character for a total of six films (so far) and the incredible season 2 finale is currently streaming on Disney+.

“Loki” Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.

“I mean, the journey he’s been on is so extraordinary and poetic; [it’s] a journey of redemption, a journey of self-discovery, a journey of suffering and vulnerability and searching, but it’s such a huge shift. It’s also one I found extremely rewarding. I’m interested in the philosophy that is almost baked into this whole series, seasons one and two, which is, and I think we can all relate to this, are we in charge of our own story? In exercising our free will, do we have choices and do those choices add up to the picture of our life? And you can only know where you’re going if you know where you’ve been, and in order to move forward into the future, you have to make peace with your past,” Hiddleston explains to me.

He continues to express, “Can a leopard change its spots, are we capable of human beings of changing? If we are, will other people accept those changes or will they hold us to the previous version? And you’ve just reminded me actually, I think it was J.M. Barrie who said, ‘life is a lesson in humility,’ and it’s sort of — I think Loki’s been on that journey too. But to go from somebody who came down to earth in The Avengers and said, ‘I am Loki of Asgard and I am burdened with glorious purpose,’ and it’s all about his selfish entitlement and hubris and for him to still be trying to redefine what those words mean with his new family, trying to figure out where he belongs and who he thinks he is versus who he really is. Yeah, I’d say, ‘I’m proud of you.’”

I had the privilege of speaking with the actor about his character’s journey, why he believes Loki is such a comfort character for fans, what he hopes a reunion between Thor and Loki would include, and more.

Watch our full discussion here: