Loki Season 2 could mark the end of an era for the MCU’s God of Mischief. The Marvel show’s first season debuted on Disney+ last year to near-universal acclaim and left Tom Hiddleston’s Loki in a very interesting place. Now, with reports of Loki Season 2 starting to film this summer, Marvel fans are busy guessing what twists the next batch of episodes might bring.
However, some recent comments from the trickster god himself have comic readers concerned that Marvel’s plans for Loki could include a permanent change of performer.
A Temporary Position — During a recent interview with Variety, Tom Hiddleston shared some interesting thoughts on his ongoing performance as Loki, and hinted that he may not always be the MCU’s primary God of Mischief. “I’m a temporary torchbearer,” Hiddleston said. “I’ve always thought that. It’s a great role. It’s an archetype, the trickster god, the agent of chaos. I’m just here interpreting that for the time being.”
“Loki has been here for centuries and will be here for centuries more and I’m just stepping into that silhouette for now,” the actor added, inadvertently sending Marvel fans spiraling with new thoughts and theories about his future in the MCU.
Hiddleston’s comments have led some fans to believe he won’t play the MCU’s God of Mischief for much longer. While that’s a sad prospect, Loki Season 1 did introduce a possible long-term replacement for Hiddleston.
The MCU’s Loki — In Loki’s fifth episode, several multiversal variants of the trickster god were introduced, including Jack Veal’s Kid Loki. The character, who was sent to The Void for slaying Thor in his timeline, made a quick and lasting impression with fans. His introduction also marked the MCU debut of yet another member of the Young Avengers, a team that has included other newcomers like Kate Bishop and America Chavez in its ranks over the years.
With that in mind, Kid Loki’s small-screen debut was taken as yet another sign that Marvel Studios plans on assembling the Young Avengers sometime in the next few years. The team’s formation could actually be the central plot of Marvel’s mysterious Avengers 5
Kid Loki also survived the events of Loki Season 1, which means there’s a chance he could come back in a future MCU project. Whether said project ends up being Loki Season 2 or Avengers 5 is anyone’s guess, but Hiddleston’s recent comments suggest that Kid Loki may one day be the variant who takes the spotlight away from his older self.
The Inverse Analysis — Loki introduced multiple versions of its hero, and in doing so has given Marvel the chance to fill his role in the MCU should Hiddleston ever choose to depart the gig. Hiddleston’s comments imply that may happen, and if certain fan theories are to be believed, it’s possible it’ll be Kid Loki who takes his place in the MCU.
That would also open the door for Marvel to unleash a wave of multiversal recastings that seem to be on a lot of MCU fans’ minds right now. That, in turn, would mean no MCU character would ever truly be eliminated and the franchise itself would never have to end, which is either a comforting or disconcerting thought depending on how you feel about the Disney-owned multimedia series.
