Tom Hiddleston's Loki is one of the MCU's breakout characters, and it's only fitting that the anti-hero will return in his own Disney+ series, but with an added twist. Directed by Kate Herron, the show will follow an alternate version of the character that was first introduced in the Time Heist during 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
In that film, this Loki variant escaped his captors by taking the Tesseract, but recent trailers revealed that his disappearing act was foiled by the Timekeepers who are also known as the Time Variance Authority. This multiverse-based organization appears to have recruited the God of Mischief for a reality-bending mission, and it will be interesting to see how this partnership will unfold in the series.
The character's return is an odd one, to say the least, but it's no secret that this Loki still has the same charm from the prime version from the Infinity Saga. Now, the actor behind the popular villain has opened up about the interest of fans towards Marvel's Trickster.
LOKI'S APPEAL TO MCU FANS
Marvel star Tom Hiddleston recently sat down with Empire to talk about his upcoming MCU series, Loki, and one of the topics that was discussed is the villain's appeal to fans.
Hiddleston opened up by explaining the God of Mischief's arc in 2011's Thor, describing it as “very poignant and full of pathos:”
“The arc of Loki in Thor is very poignant and full of pathos. He begins that film as Thor's brother, and Thor is heir to the throne. I think he genuinely loves his brother, but possibly has some deep jealousy or unspoken resentment about the favour that his elder brother has seen from his mother and father. Loki is awakening to his origins and birth, and that's been withheld from him.”
The MCU veteran then pointed out that Loki's “progression to antagonist has a lot of vulnerability,” thus earning the audience's compassion by the end of the 2011 blockbuster:
“(Loki's) progression to antagonist has a lot of vulnerability and pain inside it, so that even by the end of Thor, when Loki is the villain, the audience could see that it had come from a very poignant well of heartbreak and loneliness and confusion.”
TOM HIDDLESTON'S NEXT MCU CHAPTER AS LOKI
When he was introduced in the 2011 MCU film, Loki originally served as a foil to Thor's plans, but the character experienced an insane amount of growth since then. From a full-blown villain all the way to a celebrated anti-hero, the God of Mischief's MCU evolution is quite stunning, and the upcoming Disney+ series will look to up the ante.
Many fans would agree that they initially thought that Loki's tragic death during Avengers: Infinity War was the end of the line for the character, but it didn't take long for the villain's return to materialize when it was announced that he will receive his own solo streaming series.
The overwhelmingly positive reception for Loki's return goes to show the anti-hero's impact on the fanbase, and this ultimately makes Marvel's decision to grant another lease of life for Thor's adopted brother a right one.
Hiddleston's description of Loki's arc in Thor serves as a fitting reminder of the character's journey in the Infinity Saga, and it seems that this tidbit will be carried over to the Disney+ series. After succumbing to defeat at the hands of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, there's still a sense of vulnerability for the character, and it's possible that this could be exploited by the TVA for their own gains (like recruiting him to save the multiverse).
The journey of this Loki variant will be drastically different from the Infinity Saga's version, but this effectively provides a unique opportunity for the series to showcase a distinct evolution for the character.
The variant might be unique, but signs point to a similar endgame for Loki: a redeemed villain who's ready to do anything to save the universe.
Loki is set to premiere on Disney+ on June 11, 2021.
