Why The Latest Loki Rumor Could Be A Big Deal For The MCU

Ever since Thor's mischevious brother came out on the wrong end of a fight with Thanos, Marvel fans have been wondering if the character's saga in the MCU is done. We already know it won't be Loki's last adventure per se, as the character will have a television adventure that will air on Disney+ sometime following Avengers: Endgame. Now a new rumor about that show has folks rethinking everything, as it could make a big change the MCU.

As for what the current rumor is, which should be taken with a grain of salt, it's being said that while Marvel intends to use its film stars in its Disney+ adventures. Tom Hiddleston's incarnation will not be the focus of this Loki show. Rather, That Hashtag Show has reported the series will follow Kid Loki with Hiddleston perhaps still being involved, but not the star of the program. A new Loki, and he's a kid? Is this possible?

Yep, and while Marvel could be looking to tell a prequel tale of young Loki's days growing up with Thor, with Tom Hiddleston's Loki serving as narrator, it's also possible for a Kid Loki to exist after the events of Avengers: Endgame. In the comics, Loki convinced Hela to remove his name from the book of Hel, which assured him life wouldn't truly come to an end post-death. With Hela making an appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, it's possible a similar deal may have been struck offscreen.

If it did, then it's possible that viewers did actually witness Loki die in Avengers: Infinity War, and that he's in the process of wriggling his way into another body. Whether Avengers: Endgame will address that or not is up in the air, but one would think if Kid Loki will be the focus of a Disney+ series, the upcoming Avengers movie would address that in some way.

With that said, there was reason to suspect that Avengers: Endgame may introduce Kid Loki prior to this. Speculation around the roles of former 13 Reasons Why actress Katherine Langford and rumored actress Emma Fuhrmann has run rampant, with folks racking their brains as to how these two characters fit into the puzzle. Some believe they've cracked the code, and that Langford will be playing the Kate Bishop Hawkeye, with Fuhrmann playing an older version of Scott Lang's daughter Cassie.

Now, provided these rumors are true, then the two women's characters lay the foundation for what is the superhero group Young Avengers. The Young Avengers don't presently exist, so the thought is here that these characters would surface somewhere in a future timeline that the Avengers of the present could visit via time travel. Yes, the time travel is yet another rumor getting mentioned, albeit one that seems to have a lot of evidence to support it.

We could have a situation where the Avengers of the past meet the future Young Avengers., and typically, first meetings between heroes almost always result in a fight. With Avengers: Endgame already jam-packed with things to do, another senseless fight could kill time spent elsewhere, so someone to explain who each side is would be ideal to save time and bring the heroes all up to speed. Luckily, the film may have that in the form of Kid Loki.

That's right, Kid Loki is a member of the Young Avengers and could be the perfect person to vouch for the Avengers of the past should they arrive in a future timeline. The key word is "could," though, as Loki's comic book resurrection initially came without the memories of his past self. The MCU does have a license to take some liberties, however, so I can't imagine it wouldn't be all that crazy to have Loki retain his memories.

So, yes, there is a reason to believe the latest rumor that Loki is indeed alive, but as a younger kid who will obviously be played by another actor. Having said that, the theory is steeped in so much speculation and unconfirmed rumors, it's possible this rumor surfaced through someone randomly connecting the dots and drawing conclusions the same as we did. Basically, much of this could be wrong, although the bit about the Avengers doing time travel does seem verified.

As for what Avengers fans can reasonably assume, it's that Tom Hiddleston may be nearing the end of his tenure at Marvel. He's been in The MCU since 2011, and with his star power in Hollywood as good as its ever been, it's possible the actor is eyeing an exit as the God of Mischief. A narrator's role in a Disney+ series that allows him to pass the torch to someone else would be a way to do that.

The alternative is that Tom Hiddleston's Loki is up to his tricks again, and he comes back into the story as his usual self to play some part in the story. From there, we know he possibly has a series, but how much longer does this ride go? Do things conclude after the Disney+ series or does Hiddleston hang on for the next couple Thor films until he decides he's done?

As much as I'd love to see Tom Hiddleston stick with the MCU indefinitely, it's hard to deny Avengers: Infinity War didn't provide the perfect exit for him. His death is a far more climactic send off then quietly phasing him out years down the road. When viewed that way, I'd much rather see Hiddleston's villain go out then a blaze of glory than fade into obscurity and the MCU potentially be forced to explain his absence whenever the need be.

That said, Marvel has quite a task on its hands if it's looking for a young actor capable of delivering the level of performances Tom Hiddleston gave. I'm not entirely sure there's an immediate frontrunner for a younger actor to play the God of Mischief, but it'd be the role of a lifetime considering the legacy of the character. Again though, this is just a rumor, so no need to start casting wish lists for a young Loki just yet.

Rumors and speculation will continue all the way up to Avengers: Endgame's release date, which is set for Friday, April 26. For more rumors and speculation on the movie, check out how a VR game may have spoiled the identity of Iron Man's rescuer.