Mike Flanagan Explains Casting Loki’s Tom Hiddleston for New Stephen King Movie

Mike Flanagan has a reputation for frequently casting actors he has worked with before in his projects, crafting a reliable “Flanaverse” of performers. His upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King’s novella The Life of Chuck is no exception, featuring a stellar ensemble that includes 15 of his regular collaborators. Yet, the choice of Tom Hiddleston as the lead has piqued considerable interest—and Flanagan recently explained the intriguing reasons behind casting the Loki star for the role.

Hiddleston is set to make his debut in the Flanaverse, playing the adult version of Charles “Chuck” Krantz in The Life of Chuck, based on King’s 2020 novella from the collection If It Bleeds. The story unfolds in reverse chronological order, tracing Chuck’s life from his death back to his childhood. Alongside Hiddleston, the film will feature rising stars Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak, and Flanagan’s own son, Cody Flanagan, as younger versions of Chuck.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Flanagan revealed that he initially toyed with the idea of casting an unknown actor in the role of Chuck, aiming to evoke a sense of mystery. “I considered going with someone completely new,” Flanagan shared, “to give the audience the experience of ‘Who the hell is this person?’ as the story unfolds.”

Despite his initial instinct to cast a newcomer, it was ultimately Hiddleston’s versatility and unexpected charm that won the director over. “You grow an enormous amount of anticipation to finally spend time with an actor like Tom, who can be a literal god in one story, and then an everyman in another,” Flanagan explained.

One particularly surprising factor that led Flanagan to choose Hiddleston was a viral TikTok video of the Loki actor showing off his dance moves. The video, which captured Hiddleston in a moment of carefree joy, had a profound impact on the filmmaker, particularly because of a dance sequence in the film. “He had a completely unfiltered joy on his face,” Flanagan recounted. “He was a good dancer, but that wasn’t what struck me. I wasn’t amazed by the technique so much as the degree of happiness that was radiating off of him. The look on his face made me smile the same way I smiled reading that particular portion of the book.”

The dance scene is just one aspect of The Life of Chuck that allows Hiddleston to showcase his range, blending a powerful portrayal of Chuck’s existential journey with a deep sense of humanity. For Flanagan, this capacity to embody both a godlike presence and an everyman quality made Hiddleston the ideal choice for a role that spans across Chuck’s lifetime.

As anticipation builds for The Life of Chuck, Hiddleston’s fans and Flanagan’s devotees alike are eager to see the actor take on a role that promises to be both emotionally rich and complex. With a cast full of Flanagan’s trusted collaborators and the dynamic presence of Hiddleston, the film is shaping up to be another standout entry in Flanagan’s already impressive adaptation portfolio.

Fans of both Hiddleston and King’s work will have much to look forward to, especially with Flanagan’s knack for bringing psychological depth and haunting beauty to the screen. With The Life of Chuck, it seems Flanagan has once again struck a perfect balance between the familiar and the unexpected, casting a leading man who is ready to surprise—and delight—audiences.