Not only did Tom Hiddleston play different versions of the God of Mischief in Loki Season 1, but he almost played a Kang the Conqueror Variant.
The final episode of Loki's first season on Disney+ featured the introduction of He Who Remains, the MCU's first - but not the last - Variant of Kang, played by Jonathan Majors.
Following Kang's return in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and the fallout of He Who Remains' Season 1 death in Loki Season 2, fans are now learning that Tom Hiddleston was once considered to play the man at the end of time.
Tom Hiddleston Almost Played Kang the Conqueror?
In talking with Den of Geek, Loki Season 2 executive producer Kevin Wright confirmed there were "conversations about what if Loki was He Who Remains:"
“We just thought [He Who Remains] would be a great title for the last man standing in the multiversal war. In the writers’ room, all ideas are on the table, and there were conversations about what if Loki was He Who Remains."
Given that Loki and Sylvie are both Loki Variants, having He Who Remains also be a Loki would've been in step with the season's theme of confronting yourself.
However, due to Season 1's vast number of Lokis, it wouldn't have been as much of a surprise or nearly as impactful.
There's also the likelihood that the finale wouldn't have been as instrumental in setting up the Multiverse Saga and Ant-Man 3.
In fact, according to Wright, these "conversations" about Loki as He Who Remains "didn't get very far" because it would've made "the universe feel small:"
"Those conversations didn’t get very far; I don’t think it even got to Tom [Hiddleston] because while there is something fun about that, and there are compelling aspects to it, it makes the universe feel small. So, it was always going to be He Who Remains, always a version of Kang.”
Loki's Continued Connection With He Who Remains
While Marvel ultimately rejected the idea of Loki being "the last man standing in the multiversal war," that's not to say he won't be a quasi-He Who Remains in the end.
In addition to establishing Lokis are survivors, Loki's Season 1 finale involved He Who Remains offering Loki and Sylvie the opportunity to continue his work; and after hearing the time lord's argument, Loki considers the proposition.
With countless Kangs about to be unleashed through the Multiverse, Loki may find himself more and more aligned with He Who Remains' philosophy and potentially on a path to restore what Sylvie destroyed.
While that remains to be seen, Loki Season 2 is confirmed to include a reunion between Tom Hiddleston and Jonathan Majors when the He Who Remains star returns as Victor Timely, another Kang Variant, in upcoming episodes.
Due to Loki's Disney+ success and its Multiversal impact on the MCU, it's unlikely that this will be the last time a Kang the Conqueror crosses paths with the God of Mischief during the Multiverse Saga.
Hopefully, fans will have a better idea of their respective yet intertwined MCU futures by the season's end.
New episodes of Loki Season 2 premiere on Thursdays on Disney+.
