The death of Loki at the hands of Thanos during Avengers: Infinity War shocked fans, ultimately ending the journey of Thor's brother once and for all. However, the sadness of MCU diehards was put to rest when a Disney+ series revolving around the character was officially announced.
Loki marks the Phase 4 return of Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief, but with an intriguing twist. This is an alternate version of the character that escaped the Time Heist during Avengers: Endgame, but he was apprehended by the Time Variance Authority since he veered away from the Sacred Timeline.
The first episode of the series confirmed that Loki will work with the TVA to undo his cosmic mistake, but the task will not be easy, as it was revealed that a dangerous Variant of himself is loose somewhere in the timeline. The second installment revealed that Sophia Di Martino's Lady Loki is the culprit of the time-related shenanigans, and signs point that she will not be the only Variant that will wreak havoc in this series.
Now, The Direct predicts other Loki Variants that could show up in the Disney+ series.
LADY LOKI (CONFIRMED)
Di Martino's emphatic debut as Lady Loki in the second episode of the series is no doubt a scene-stealer. This Variant is dangerous, calculating, and she is clearly one step ahead of Hiddleston's version.
The vicious nature of the character is synonymous with her history in the pages of Marvel Comics. Lady Loki first appeared in Jack Kirby's Venus # 6, but the famous Variant was pushed into the forefront during J. Michael Straczynski, Marko Djurdjevic, and Olivier Coipel’s Thor run from 2008. In this storyline, Loki transformed into a female after Asgard was destroyed due to the events of Ragnarok, taking Lady Sif's body in the process.
Lady Loki is one of the most notable forms of the God of Mischief, and it seems that the series will showcase this character as the primary villain that is pulling the strings to achieve her nefarious goal. Based on what's been revealed so far, it looks like Di Martino's Loki is a distinct version of the God of Mischief, and she is not a shape-shifted version of Hiddleston's Variant.
This could hint that she came from a branched timeline, thus further solidifying why the TVA is after her. It is unknown what her grand scheme will be, but knowing that she is a Variant of the MCU's prime Loki, it's safe to say that she is up to no good.
OLD LOKI
A future version of Loki, otherwise known as Old Loki, is another possible Variant that could show up in the series. The rumored involvement of Game Of Thrones' Richard E. Grant in Loki is solid evidence of this theory. The actor could very well play Old Loki, considering his resemblance to Tom Hiddleston.
In the comics, this Loki is purely evil, living up to his God of Mischief title. Loki could showcase this Variant as someone who never turned to the good side, meaning that he is evil from the get-go. The appearance of Grant's version could serve as a motivation for Endgame Loki to be redeemed, especially after he revealed that he doesn't really enjoy that he's hurting people.
It is unknown how Old Loki will fit into the grand scheme of Lady Loki, but it's possible that he is in cahoots with the female Variant. If this is the case, then the combined might of the two Variants will prove to be a challenge for the show's main hero.
PRESIDENT LOKI
The first episode revealed that Loki wants to rule over Midgard a.k.a. Earth, but as fans now know, this plan was thwarted by the Avengers. However, marketing for Loki revealed that a politically-driven Variant exists, and this could hint that a live-action version will soon meddle with the TVA and the titular protagonist.
Marvel Comics writer Christopher Hastings introduced a four-part comic book series known as Vote Loki to fans, and it is centered around the controversial political campaign of the God of Mischief. The series explored the themes of political affairs and deception. It's possible that an alternate version of the God of Mischief decided to put his focus on America first, thus earning their trust to gain control of the nation before eventually moving towards the rest of the world.
In Loki, there's a strong chance that this Variant will be recruited by Endgame Loki to help him in his fight against Lady Loki and Classic Loki. Knowing full well that President Loki already achieved his goal, the show's main trickster could simply use that as his main pitch for recruitment, thus forming an unlikely alliance with another version of himself.
This presents an interesting dynamic with the Variants moving forward, allowing Loki to showcase an unusual partnership for the titular character that is outside of Thor and his Asgardian friends.
KING LOKI
Loki's main goal is to rule Asgard or essentially become a ruler of the Nine Realms. It would be fitting if the series managed to show a Loki that achieved his goal of becoming a king. The trailers for Loki already shown a version of Loki sitting on Asgard's throne, and Endgame Loki could very well encounter this Variant in an unexpected way.
Seeing his other version achieve the high honor of ruling Asgard could eventually trigger the show's main lead, with him asking questions about how he managed to propel himself into greatness. This would create an opportunity for the series to show that ruling Asgard is not the true destiny of the God of Mischief, further solidifying the path of Endgame Loki towards heroism.
On a plot level, it seems likely that this Variant will not choose the side of either Lady Loki or Hiddleston's trickster, considering that he appears to be settled with ruling Asgard for many centuries.
KID LOKI
During the development stages of Loki, it was rumored that a kid version of the God of Mischief will appear in the series. This was further solidified by the confirmation from Jack Veal that he will indeed play a young version of the MCU's trickster.
Given this, it's safe to say that Kid Loki will appear, but it looks like his involvement will not be through flashbacks due to the nature of the series. Seeing Tom Hiddleston side by side with Kid Loki will definitely be a visual treat for fans.
It is currently unknown if this young Variant will be part of the good guys, but signs point that he will be mischievous at first before eventually helping Endgame Loki in a potential mission.
The character had a history of becoming part of the Young Avengers, and Loki could serve as his launching pad of that story beat. Several members of the team have either been introduced or will debut in Phase 4, and it looks like Kid Loki will soon make his way as a valuable addition to this super-powered group.
IKOL
The last Variant that could be introduced is Ikol, a reborn version of the God of Mischief. In the comics, this is a completely new Loki who is free of the weight of the past after manipulating Hela to take his name out of the Book of Hel.
Based on that premise, it seems that this is the direction where Endgame Loki is heading. Joining the TVA in missions to correct his cosmic mistake could lead him to a path of redemption that simply mirrors the journey of the main version from the Infinity Saga. The stark difference is the fact that Thor and the rest of Asgard are not with him in this newfound path.
Seeing him achieve redemption all by himself would be the perfect send-off for the God of Mischief, and the inclusion of different Variants will only help strengthen his legacy.
The first two episodes of Loki are now streaming on Disney+.
