New information is finally dropping for Loki Season 2, and fans have plenty to be excited about regarding the future of the God of Mischief. Even as a clearer picture of Loki's tomorrow is laid out, though, some interesting details have been spun regarding the role actor Giancarlo Esposito could have played in its past.
The actor (of Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian fame, among many other projects) has been no stranger to fan casting for a number of roles across the Marvel universe. It's not difficult to see why; look at any one of Esposito's many appearances and it's clear that he's an incredibly passionate and talented actor.
While his potential role in Loki has been discussed by others before, Esposito spoke openly recently about the truth behind the role he could have had.
Esposito Could Have Played Loki Himself
Murphy's Multiverse shared details about remarks Giancarlo Esposito made at Rose City Comic-Con regarding his potential role in Loki.
Esposito cleared away the mystery about his talks with Marvel and said, "they had come to me to play possibly play Loki on the television side." While there obviously are reasons behind why an actor does or does not take a role, Esposito simply said, "I think I wasn’t the one who was chosen, [would] be the honest truth" though he admits he "would have maybe liked to do it."
Interestingly (and perhaps more excitingly), he noted that not being chosen for the Loki role actually fueled his interest in working in the MCU. After not being chosen he thought "it would be great if [he] could be in a Marvel movie":
"And then I thought when I wasn’t selected for that, that it would be great if I could be in a Marvel movie, not just a television show because I like films a lot. I love television, obviously I had a great run in the television world, doing last year was four shows at one time and the year before five shows."
What Marvel Role is Right for Esposito?
Giancarlo Esposito is a positively prolific actor and his potential appearance in the MCU is something fans have been discussing for a while. In the past, the actor himself has fueled speculation about potentially taking on the mantle of a major X-Men character like Professor Xavier or Magneto.
Given his history of playing self-assured villains who ooze a quiet menace, it's no question that the Mandalorian star would do an excellent job bringing the Master of Magnetism to life. His portrayal would certainly fit in well with the previous Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender takes on the character.
The possibility of Esposito playing Charles Xavier is, perhaps, an even more interesting one. Given his typical typecasting as a villain it'd be refreshing to see the kind of energy he could bring to the leader of the X-Men. Professor X—as an Alpha-level Mutant—can be just as much the intimidating foe as he can be the warm and caring ally; that's exactly the type of acting Esposito excels at.
Another name that's been brought up by fans in fan-casting Esposito is Doctor Victor von Doom, ruler of Latveria and archenemy of the Fantastic Four. While he'd be great in that role, here's where the elephant in the room comes in. At 64, Esposito's age will likely play a limiting factor in the roles he's chosen for. Doom will almost certainly be a contemporary of Reed Richards and it's safe to assume Marvel will be seeking an actor young enough to carry the Fantastic Four franchise for many years.
Age is likely less of a concern when it comes to the casting of Xavier and Magneto. While the Fox X-Men films gave a younger take on the characters, both have traditionally been older in the comics and both have easy ways in the narrative to be sunset. In the comics, Xavier has been succeeded by Cyclops and that may play out in the MCU as well, while Magneto's role as a villain gives plenty of ways for him to be removed from the story.
The MCU is quickly becoming the franchise it seems every actor will appear in at some point or another, and Esposito has many roles even beyond the ones discussed here that he could play. It's up to Kevin Feige and the other minds behind the scenes to find the perfect place for him as he's clearly eager to join the universe.
