Marvel fans are facing a little instability. While the planned Big Bad of the ongoing Multiversal Saga was supposed to be Kang, Jonathan Majors and his legal issues forced the studio’s hand, leading to what we assume will be an eventual replacement for the actor in the pivotal role. There are other possible villains who could be introduced in upcoming Marvel movies like Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts, or The Fantastic Four. And then there is the existing powerhouse that is Loki, who has been threatening the MCU since his debut in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor back in 2011. When last we saw Loki (Tom Hiddleston), he was assuming his throne as the Loom that keeps all time lines in balance. It was a fitting end for the character in that season… but was it really the end?
During a recent interview with Variety, Loki actor Tom Hiddleston spoke with Shogun star Anna Sawai about their shows, their character arcs, and saying goodbye to them. And when asked by Sawai what it felt like saying goodbye to Loki after playing him for more than a decade, Hiddleston admitted:
I just felt this wash of relief because it had been a very meaningful experience. That sense of … the exhale. … It’s changed the whole course of my life, no question.
When Tom Hiddleston uses phrases such as “had been” to describe his experience of playing Loki, fans can get a little nervous. He refers to his time with Loki in the past tense. Then again, in full context, he is responding to questions aimed at him by Anna Sawai, and she is asking him directly about saying goodbye. So Hiddleston might only be referring to saying goodbye to this version of the character that was prevalent in the Loki show that’s available with a Disney+ subscription.
To that end, when describing how he played Loki specifically in this program, Hiddleston elaborated:
I always saw Loki as a broken soul with a shattered heart, deeply damaged by the fact that he was unwanted. He’s mischievous and playful on the surface, but it’s masking all this pain. What I’ve loved about this series is tracing my way back to that vulnerable soul and healing that damage. Showing that pain can be transformed into courage and strength — how does that relate to you?
In that answer, he describes the series. Does that leave the door open to more work in a Marvel movie? We should hope so, because Loki’s place as the Loom keeping the Sacred Timeline in order should be very important to the Multiversal issues that will be introduced as the Multiversal Saga rolls along.
Basically, as we know with the MCU, never say never… and no one is ever really dead. We saw Thanos kill Loki in Avengers: Infinity War.
Only to have him return in Avengers: Endgame, and then his own TV series. And given the fact that Marvel doesn’t have Kang to lean on (until the character gets recast), they’d be wise to keep Loki at the ready in case he needs to be a threat – or an ally – in the battle that’s eventually going to be waged on behalf of the expanding Multiverse, possibly even as soon as Deadpool & Wolverine in July.
