Marvel-lous: Tom Hiddleston to marry Zawe Ashton

LONDON - British actor Tom Hiddleston, famous for playing the villainous Loki in Marvel films such as Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012), is engaged to his girlfriend, actress Zawe Ashton.

US media confirmed the news after Ashton, who is also British, was seen sporting a ring on her left hand during a red carpet appearance at Sunday's (March 13) British Academy Film Awards in London.

The duo are reported to have become an item soon after working together in a West End and Broadway revival of playwright Harold Pinter's Betrayal in 2019. Hiddleston, 41, and Ashton, 37, had played a married couple whose relationship is tested when the wife has an affair with her husband's best friend.

They seemingly confirmed their relationship at the Tony Awards in September 2021, where they appeared arm in arm on the red carpet.

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Hiddleston has appeared in films such as gothic romance Crimson Peak (2015) and monster thriller Kong: Skull Island (2017), but is best known for his breakout role as anti-hero Loki in multiple theatrical films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His most recent appearance as the character was in last year's six-episode Loki television series on the Disney+ streaming service.

The London-born actor has largely kept his private life quiet, although he made the news in the summer of 2016 when he briefly dated pop star Taylor Swift.

Hiddleston's fiance will reportedly be joining him in the ranks of Marvel villains. Entertainment trade publication The Hollywood Reporter said last year that Ashton will play an unnamed antagonist to Brie Larson's Captain Marvel in The Marvels, which is slated for release next February.

Ashton's other acting credits include a starring role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the Netflix film Velvet Buzzsaw (2019), and a bit part in The Handmaid's Tale last year.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.