The MCU brought back Tom Hiddleston for the first time since the finale of his solo Loki series on Disney+.
Hiddleston's Loki shocked the MCU fandom with his God of Stories storyline in the highly-praised Loki Season 2 finale, which aired in November 2023. Fans saw him elevate to one of the franchise's most powerful beings, who now oversees the entirety of space and time.
After starting his run as Loki in 2011's Thor, Hiddleston boasts one of the longest MCU tenures of any actor involved with Marvel Studios. While he was last seen on the small screen at the end of 2023, 2024 gave him yet another opportunity to embody his fan-favorite Marvel icon.
Tom Hiddleston Is Back for One More Loki Adventure In MCU Phase 5
For the first time since the final episode of the Loki series, fans saw Tom Hiddleston reprise his role as Loki, this time in Season 3 of What If...?.
This episode had Hiddleston once again playing the Frost Giant version of Loki first seen in Season 1, Episode 7 of What If...?. In that entry, Thor and Loki did not grow up as brothers after Odin left Loki on Jotunheim with Laufey to grow up as a full Frost Giant.
Season 3 featured this same version of Loki, who offered Darcy and Howard the Duck refuge at his newly-opened winter resort on Jotunheim. The two stayed there with the multiversal God of Mischief, using the resort as a place to hide and protect their gestating egg, which was teased to hold an immensely powerful being.
Unfortunately, the family was surrounded by a modicum of forces, including Laufey and the Frost Giants, SHIELD, Malekith and the Dark Elves, the Black Order, Zeus, and even the Mad Titan, Thanos.
As the two are surrounded by thousands of powerful warriors from across the galaxy, Howard and Darcy embrace their egg and sing their personal song, KISS' "I Was Made for Lovin' You." That melody triggers the egg's incredible cosmic powers, sending energy pulses out to blast away the oncoming enemies.
As Zeus retreats and the enemies are vanquished, the egg finally hatches, revealing Howard and Darcy's hybrid human/duck baby. This baby eventually grows up to be Natasha Lyonne's Byrdie, who is seen fully powered up in Episode 7 and Episode 8.
When Will Loki Return to the MCU In Live-Action?
While hearing Hiddleston voice an alternate-reality Loki is certainly fun for viewers, the real question is when and where he will pop up again in the live-action Marvel Studios saga.
While Loki Season 3 is still a possibility for development, most fans are expecting Hiddleston to make his return to the MCU in one of the franchise's upcoming movies. Specifically, the films fans most want him in are 2026's Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
These movies could utilize him in a number of ways, including the version of him as the God of Stories or as a Variant from earlier in his run from the MCU's history. The big hope is that Loki gets his long-awaited reunion with Thor after Loki's seemingly permanent death in Avengers: Infinity War.
Regardless of the details, Hiddleston has spoken openly about wanting to continue playing Loki for as long as he possibly can, even after 13 years of work with Marvel Studios.
All three seasons of What If...?, along with all of Tom Hiddleston's other MCU appearances, are available to stream on Disney+.
