Since being introduced to the MCU back in 2011, Loki has undergone some serious character development. Audiences were first introduced to Loki in Thor, and he has since become a central figure in the MCU. Portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, Loki has amassed a dedicated fan base over the years, which made his untimely death in Infinity War incredibly shocking. Thankfully, the beloved character returned to our screens in 2021 for the highly acclaimed Disney Plus series, Loki. However, the character’s long-awaited return demonstrates how far Loki’s character has progressed since 2011.

When audiences first met Loki, he was known as Thor’s treacherous and mischievous brother. Envious of the God of Thunder’s power and likability, Loki was renowned for continuously betraying Thor. However, the 2017 film, Thor: Ragnarök, saw the two brothers join forces, albeit with some reluctance. The Disney Plus series reflects upon how far Loki has come since his MCU debut as Thor’s antagonist. However, Loki season 2 has continued to push the character further than ever, defying fans’ expectations. Because of this, some fans have started speculating that the beloved trickster may be on his way to succeeding Iron Man's leading role in the MCU, which would place Loki as the central figure in Marvel’s future phases.

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How Has Loki’s Character Developed in the MCU?

When Loki was first introduced in Thor, he was renowned for his harboring grudge against his brother, Thor. Fed up with living in his brother’s shadow, Loki was desperate to obtain Thor’s power and influence over Asgard, showcasing Loki as a bitter and unlikable figure.

Back in 2012, Loki starred as the central villain in The Avengers. In this beloved film, Loki is determined to become the supreme ruler of Earth. In order to achieve this, Loki steals the valuable Tesseract and begins a frightful reign of terror. The Avengers are then called out to put a stop to Loki’s trickery, ultimately culminating in the God of Mischief’s defeat. Following the failure of his master plan, Loki resentfully returns to Asgard with Thor.

However, Thor: Ragnarök presented an alternative perspective of Loki’s character and insisted that he could not be dismissed as a villain. Following the death of their father, Odin, Thor and Loki are unexpectedly introduced to their villainous sister, Hela – one of the most dangerous and powerful villains in the MCU. After being trapped on the mysterious planet, Sakaar, the two brothers are forced to join forces in an attempt to save Asgard from Hela’s wrath. While Hela is successfully defeated, Asgard is destroyed. As a result, Thor and Loki set out on a mission to create a new Asgard. However, this mission is promptly sabotaged by the events of Infinity War.

Thor: Ragnarök was the first film in the MCU which successfully delved into the complexity of Thor and Loki’s relationship. In an impactful scene, the two brothers attempt to have a heart-to-heart. Here, Thor tells his brother:

While their relationship is often tempestuous, Ragnarök showcased the fundamental bond between the two brothers, making Loki’s death in Infinity War all the more devastating. Ragnarök concluded with the two brothers patching up their relationship, but Infinity War quickly took everything away from Thor, leaving him reeling from the death of his brother. Shortly before he is killed, Loki tells Thor:

Fans were devastated by Loki’s unexpected death. While Ragnarök showcased a new side to the God of Mischief, Infinity War quickly tore this all apart. However, fortunately for fans, this wasn’t the end of Loki’s story.

As the Disney Plus series explores, the God of Mischief is still alive in a parallel universe. Loki’s survival stems from the events of Avengers Endgame. In the 2019 film, the group of Avengers travel back in time to the events of The Avengers. However, rather than capturing Loki, the God of Mischief successfully escaped with the Tesseract, creating an alternative timeline.

Over the past decade, the God of Mischief has certainly been through a journey of ups and downs, but the Disney Plus series installs Loki as its central protagonist. However, the arrival of Loki season 2 led fans to speculate that Marvel is going to take Loki’s character further than ever. In the aftermath of season 2’s dramatic finale, fans are theorizing that Loki is going to become the central figure in the MCU, replacing Iron Man, who was previously Marvel’s most significant character.

Why Do Fans Think That Loki Is Going To Become The Main Protagonist?

In recent years, the multiverse has become Marvel’s central focus and overarching plot line. Marvel’s fourth and fifth phases both tackle the concept of the multiverse, resulting in them being collectively dubbed as ‘The Multiverse Saga’. This is largely because phase 5’s central villain, Kang the Conqueror, is able to move between different universes.

Loki season 2 heavily pushes forward the multiverse plot-line, which has led fans to speculate that Loki is going to be more important than ever in Marvel’s future phases. Marvel already has big plans for its sixth and seventh phases, which are planned to culminate in a colossal showdown against Kang the Conqueror. Because of Loki’s association with the multiverse, fans are theorizing that Loki will become the MCU’s central character, taking Iron Man’s place.

In the final showdown against Kang the Conqueror, which is not expected to be released until 2026, it’s likely that Loki will go head-to-head against the villainous Kang, which will conclude Marvel’s seventh phase. This would mirror Iron Man’s renowned battle against Thanos, meaning that Loki would be installed in the MCU as the new ‘Iron Man’.

Season 2’s dramatic finale continues to push Loki forward as a central figure. In the final episode, the God of Mischief destroys the Temporal Loom and consequently saves the branched timelines. The season concludes with the ominous threat of a multiversal war, but it’s clear that Loki has a new place in the MCU.

In the season’s finale, Loki sits upon a throne wearing a horned crown. Because of this, it’s clear that Loki has become the God of Stories – a plot line derived from the original comics. As the God of Stories, Loki will likely have the ability to travel across the multiverse and will be capable of changing history and rewriting the story. Because of season 2’s significant finale, it’s likely that Loki will be made the center of the MCU’s multiverse plot line. As foreshadowed all the way back in Avengers Assemble, Loki is now truly “burdened with glorious purpose”. As the God of Stories, it’s likely that Loki will become more powerful than ever before, becoming the central protagonist in the MCU’s future phases.

Over the past week, it has been rumored that Iron Man may potentially return to the MCU, although this has not been confirmed by Marvel. In the past few days, Marvel has been met with immense backlash over this idea, with fans claiming that the studios have ‘run out of ideas’. Installing Loki as the new central character would be a fresh and immersive plot-line for Marvel, and will likely draw viewers back in.

Over the past few years, Marvel’s fan base has dramatically declined, resulting in various commercial flops. However, Loki has continued to pull in positive reviews. At the time of writing, the show’s second season is currently rated 81% on Rotten Tomatoes – a dramatic contrast to Marvel’s previous 2023 series, Secret Invasion, which scraped a score of 54%.

Loki’s character has continued to captivate audiences, meaning that it would be a clever ploy for Marvel to continue to push forward the God of Mischief’s storyline. By having Loki become the face of the multiverse, Marvel’s upcoming sixth and seventh phases will certainly seem a lot brighter than the MCU's current declining state.

Loki

Loki is the shapeshifting Norse god, traditionally associated with trickery. Loki is also a fictional character used by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Venus #6 (August 1949), his characterization is often credited to Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby starting in Journey into Mystery #85 (October 1962). While often portrayed as a supervillain and antihero, the character has come into popularity thanks to his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe portrayed by Tom Hiddleston.

Franchise

Marvel

Movies

Avengers: Infinity War , Marvel's The Avengers , Avengers: Endgame

TV Shows

Loki

All episodes of Loki season 1 and 2 are available to stream on Disney Plus.

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