Marvel Phase 4 Spoilers: Tom Hiddleston Confirms a Big 'Loki' Rumor
This could have weird implications for the MCU.
Loki always manages to find a sly way to return, and his self-titled Disney+ series is already being eyed as a kind of resurrection for the character. But, wait, didn’t the god of mischief die at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War? Yes, he did, but given that Loki stole the tesseract in the midst of the Avengers’ time-traveling shenanigans in Endgame, Thor’s wily brother could still be alive in an alternate timeline.
While avoiding as many spoilers as possible, Tom Hiddleston recently teased that the Loki series will indeed explain whether his character actually survived Thanos and that he has plans for the cube.
Having served as the primary antagonist during the Avengers’ early days, Loki has had a relatively long shelf life as a villain. Sure, he was later replaced in that role by Thanos, but the god of mischief always found his way back into the action. It’s why fans didn’t believe it for a second when Loki died in Infinity War. After all, he’s faked his own death before. Why wouldn’t he do the same again?
Loki always has a plan up his sleeve.
Still, with his only appearance in Endgame taking place in the past, it seemed to cinch the idea that he was really gone. Then he stole the tesseract and disappeared with a smirk, solidifying his role in Phase Four of the MCU.
“Two questions I’ve been asked: ‘Is Loki really dead?’ and ‘What is Loki doing with that cube?’ This series will answer both of those questions,” Hiddleston said during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
It’s the vaguest response possible, of course, but it does seem to imply that Loki’s theft of the tesseract saved him from permanent death, even if it’s not in the traditional sense. Though Hiddleston was unwilling to confirm anything else about the show (not even if there’d be time travel), one theory suggested that Loki would be using a combination of the Quantum Realm and the Tesseract to time travel to various historical events. Hiddleston’s confirmation that the questions surrounding Loki’s use of the tesseract will be answered lends some credence to this theory.
Loki's always had his eyes on the prize.
But, how exactly do these updates tie into Phase Four? Well, the MCU has already established that time travel paradoxes and the multiverse do exist, even though Endgame likes to think it avoided all of these things with their new time travel rules (they didn’t). Therefore, Loki is more than likely in some kind of alternate dimension, timeline, or lost somewhere in the multiverse following his disappearance.
Additionally, given that the Disney+ series won’t debut until the spring of 2021, it conveniently follows the release of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, both of which will presumably examine the nature of space and time in the MCU. This could give Loki the opportunity to explore his adventures without erasing his death in Infinity War.
It’s confusing, right? It seems MCU’s Phase Four is intent on giving fans headaches from all the time travel and dimension hopping that’s right around the corner. But hey, at least we get to spend more time with one of the MCU’s most entertaining characters.
Loki will be available to stream on Disney+ in the spring of 2021.
