Avengers: Age of Ultron has finally hit U.S. theaters, and if you didn’t attend the midnight premiere, chances are many of you will be seeing it during the weekend. The film boasts an impressive cast of both main characters and supporting players, and last year it was reported that two Marvel players who would be making an appearance in the film were the Asgardians Heimdall and Loki. However, while you’ll still get to see Idris Elba as Asgard’s gatekeeper, don’t expect to see Tom Hiddleston as the God of Mischief in the final cut of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Director Joss Whedon told MTV that although a scene was shot featuring Loki, they ultimately had to leave it out of the final product due to the film already being overstuffed with other content. As Whedon puts it:
We did shoot something, but it didn’t play. The movie has so much. It’s so filled. We didn’t want it to feel overstuffed. I really wanted to have Loki in it, but I understood the decision that there were now too many voices in the chorus. At some point the embarrassment of riches is actually embarrassing.
The last time Loki was seen in the MCU was in Thor: The Dark World, where he was recruited by Thor to help rescue Jane Foster from Malekith and the Dark Elves. After faking his death in Svartalfheim, he sneaked back to Asgard and managed to usurp the throne by disguising himself as Odin, making him now the unofficial ruler of the Asgardians. With all the characters already packed into Avengers: Age of Ultron, from the returning cast to newcomers like Scarlet Witch and Vision, it’s understandable he was left out in the end. Even though his scene was cut, it’s possible that it will be included as a deleted scene on the Blu-Ray/DVD, although whether it will be considered canon in a different question.
You can watch the full Whedon clip below.
Loki will be seen next in 2017’s Thor: Raganarok, where an apocalyptic force will rain down upon Asgard. Given how important a role he has played in the MCU, both in the Thor movies and The Avengers, it’s also not hard to imagine him being thrown into the mix for the Avengers: Infinity War movies, especially given his connection to Thanos. That trickster has more lives than a cat, and if there’s any villain other than the Mad Titan himself who would be worthy of playing a role in this massive event, it’s him.
