Marvel Studios has a leadership crisis, only that rather than it coming from the boardroom, the root of the MCU’s problems lies in how it’s yet to replace Iron Man and Captain America. Nevertheless, some clues in Phase Four and Five might suggest that Marvel is ready to give Loki the chance to fulfill his glorious purpose.
After all, it was Loki who brought Marvel’s Avengers together in the studio’s first crossover movie, the one that really signaled to the world the MCU was now must-watch pop culture. Fast-forward to Ant-Man 3’s failure to even capture the same audience as its predecessors, and its clear the films have lost that universal appeal, largely in part because there’s no Avengers group to speak of — and yet, a recent run of Marvel Comics may contain a new blueprint for success.
Marvel's Avengers Need A New Leader
While the MCU did not experience an outright reboot, after Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans left, their characters’ absence has become a huge plot point for every other superhero left. For example, Sam Wilson’s journey to become Captain America and his struggle to cope with the weight of Steve’s legacy are the core themes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a Disney Plus series that symbolizes much of what’s gone down over the last couple of years.
As previous icons fade, new faces must surface, though Marvel Studios appears to have chosen most of its newcomers from one of the brand's least iconic chapters, the company’s Marvel NOW! relaunch that ran from 2012 through 2017. That period inspired many of the shows that came out recently, such as Hawkeye or Ms. Marvel, as well as the introduction of characters like America Chavez and Ironheart.
The main difference is that in Marvel NOW!, all those newcomers had the solid backing of established heroes, including the X-Men and Spider-Man, and ultimately asking them to carry the burden of the entire MCU without any of the legacy Avengers is one huge ask. As more of the MCU’s well-known actors make way for others, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is still a key piece in the Multiverse, and that’s certainly no accident if one examines his comic book past.
Why Loki Is The MCU's Best Bet
Besides the Iron Man and Black Widow’s deaths, the mysteries surrounding Cap, and the logistics nightmare that are Hulk’s film rights, Marvel has also had to deal with Chris Hemsworth’s impeding exit and, worst of all, Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing. That leaves Loki, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel as the MCU’s most recognizable names, in spite of the latter mostly being famous for her absences and showing up only when it’s strictly necessary.
Despite both men having Marvel projects lined up for the future, as well as having superpowers on a scale that’s compatible with the ongoing Multiverse Saga, Loki has always been the name tied to bringing the Avengers together. In the MCU, the Loki series has set up a promising redemption arc where the god of mischief is currently the only person well-informed on how big of a threat Kang represents.
On top of that, since Marvel Studios seems so inclined to adapt somewhat recent comic book plots, the newer Avengers Forever story presents Loki under a new light. The first Avengers Forever run came out between 1998-1999, featuring Kang the Conqueror and his Immortus variants as the main villains out of all people; similarly, 2021’s Avengers Forever has Doctor Doom and Mephisto as the big bad guys, but also a Loki variant as one its stars.
Who Is Avenger Prime?
It was only a few weeks ago that Avengers Forever #13 revealed Loki as the man pulling the strings behind the curtain in this epic Multiversal war of a comic book. Although the series picks up with Ghost Rider as its protagonist, the threat presented by the Masters of Evil superteam makes the heroes follow a mysterious figure wearing an Asgardian helmet and an all-too-familiar suit and tie combo.
This Loki variant, who goes by the Avenger Prime name, explains that the Avengers always owe their existence to one Loki, a nod to the team’s first formation in the 1963 Avengers #1 comic book, exactly like the MCU’s own team-up in the 2012 film. Much to the heroes’ surprise, Loki tells Tony Stark that across all universes “one thing is always constant. You cannot have the Avengers without a Loki to bring them together.”
This moment paid off a recurring comic book fan theory that now would seem to make sense for the MCU. Loki is the only Marvel series to have a second season planned from the get-go, and even if that makes sense within the context of The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars storylines, those two entries are believed to be setting up a reset for the entire cinematic universe.
Suffice it to say, Loki’s Avenger Prime form is fresh out of the oven in the comics, yet the narrative that lies behind him is quite similar to what Marvel Studios is currently pursuing in its movies. With the Fantastic Four looming on the horizon, Doctor Doom’s intro is sure to follow, and fans have long been wondering when or if Mephisto will appear in the MCU.
Loki’s protagonist is the flawed but lovable Earth-616 variant from the last decade, and the show's second season is likely to continue developing the character from his VIP seat that grants him access to all the Kang’s schemes. An Avenger Prime story starring Tom Hiddleston is far from guaranteed, but if the MCU needs a new leader, the Avengers sure could do a lot worse than Loki.