While Marvel is still churning out solo movies, the studio is finding new ways to incorporate other superheroes into those adventures. Just look at Thor: Ragnarok. Along with Bruce Banner, a.k.a. The Hulk, the God of Thunder will also share screen time with Doctor Strange, who finally debuted in the MCU last November. Stephen Strange won't have as much screen time as the Green Goliath, but he will prove valuable in helping Thor and Loki find their father, Odin. While Thor and Strange struck up a friendly-ish relationship in the Doctor Strange mid-credits scene, the same won't be the case for Strange and Loki, and not just because the former knows about the latter's crimes on Earth. Evidently Loki also isn't particularly impressed with Strange's talents.
While speaking to Tom Hiddleston about his latest movie, Kong: Skull Island, IGN noted how Loki was notable for using magic years before Doctor Strange cast his first spell in the MCU, and subsequently asked the actor what the Asgardian trickster thinks about the Master of the Mystic Arts. This was his response:
I think he probably dismisses Strange. yes, his sorcery is very impressive, but Loki's been doing that for centuries. So who cares?
Tom Hiddleston has a point. Like other beings from Asgard and other corners of the Nine Realms, Loki has lived for centuries, and he's spent that time refining his special brand of magic. Even if we assume that a fair amount of time has passed between Doctor Strange's ending and that mid-credits scene, at most Stephen Strange has been using magic for about two years. He still has a ways to go before he becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, let alone come close to Loki's level. Still, since Thor and Loki are seeking Strange's help to find Odin, obviously Loki isn't all powerful in certain areas, otherwise they wouldn't need the assistance of Earth's newest sorcerer.
While Tom Hiddleston made it clear that Loki won't think much of Doctor Strange, he did note that there's another individual in Thor: Ragnarok who will throw the God of Mischief for a loop. Hiddleston continued:
But Hela is a different beast and full of surprises, and actually might have been someone with whom at one time he could have gotten along, but the circumstances have changed.
Cate Blanchett's Hela will be Thor: Ragnarok's main antagonist, as the Asgardian god of death will be trying to bring about the apocalyptic event. While we wouldn't put it past Loki to cause some trouble during the third Thor movie, the above comment suggests that his goals won't align with hers. So once again, there's another grudging partnership in the works between these brothers, and as a dramatic shift from how we saw him change in 2011's Thor, maybe Loki will finally fully redeem himself and be the key to stopping Hela.
Thor: Ragnarok hits theaters on November 3, and both Thor and Doctor Strange will return on May 4, 2018 for Avengers: Infinity War.
