Tom Hiddleston not making a comeback for The Avengers sequel

Tom Hiddleston has confirmed his villainous character Loki will not return for The Avengers' sequel.

The War Horse star's character was popular among fans of the superhero movie, but Hiddleston is convinced there was no way the role could fit in the new movie Avengers: Age of Ultron.

He tells EW.com, "He's not in it. Here's the thing: I don't think there's anything else Loki could contribute to The Avengers, narratively. Joss 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."

The British actor insists he has no hard feelings about the departure and reveals it was a pleasure to work on the movie.

He adds, "When I think of all the things I loved as a child, for example, Hans Gruber wasn't in Die Hard 2. And in Indiana Jones, by the time he moved from the Lost Ark to the Temple of Doom, there was a whole new bad guy. I think keeping it fresh and new is good for The Avengers even though it's a shame for me. And let's face it, there's seven or eight of them as it is, and Joss is thinking about adding two more, so the screen's gonna be a busy place. But I had the time of my life on that film. It was the most fun ever."

However, it will not be the last time fans see Loki on the big screen - he will reprise the character in the Thor sequel, Thor: The Dark World.

He explains, "Oh, I've got plenty to do in Thor, believe me. A lot of new stuff. It's a new iteration of the character. It's a new development. Another trick, another poker game for the god of mischief. And he plays it well."