marvel cinematic universe - Why does Loki look like he does in the movies?

Apologies for the slightly vague title.

It is revealed during Thor that

Loki was taken as a baby and is actually the son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants.

Is there any explanation as to why he doesn't look like the rest of his race?

Answer

It's a combination of his natural appearance, along with Odin's interference. He was naturally born smaller than regular Frost Giants. When Odin found him, he cast a spell on him to change his appearance to that of an Asgardian (there was a short flashback scene showing this in the film). As he grew up, this spell seems to have maintained its power, even as he gained knowledge of Asgardian magic, so Odin must have made his spell hidden from Loki. Otherwise, he would have noticed the spell on himself while he was mastering Asgardian magic.

During Thor, we only see his appearance change back to his natural blue skin when he's attacked by a Frost Giant's freezing touch or when he uses the Casket of Ancient Winters. His appearance then changes back shortly afterwards. It seems Odin's spell on Loki was extremely powerful. It only ceases effect when Loki's Frost Giant nature is needed, and only temporarily. Loki doesn't seem to be capable of detecting the spell, and potentially is unable to remove the spell (although it's unclear if he would want it removed).

Comments

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