The following article contains spoilers for episode 1 of Loki.
After appearing in six films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the God of Mischief has returned once again in Disney Plus’ Loki, which premiered on Wednesday. Fans will once again get to see the complex and fun anti-hero back in action, and this time around it involves time travel, which is bound to become chaotic. But, fans do need to keep in mind that the television series introduces a new version of Loki.
At this point, everyone who has been following Loki’s journey is aware that the version of the character appearing in the Disney Plus series is not the one fans have gotten to know and love over the past decade in the MCU. In 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, Loki was killed by super-villain Thanos. But, it doesn’t seem like it would be necessary for the old Loki to return, as fans are ready to accept the new version of the character.
Loki was first introduced in the MCU in 2011's Thor. At the time, the universe was still being set up, with only three movies having been released, including Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Incredible Hulk. From the get-go, Loki became a fan-favorite character, portrayed masterfully by Tom Hiddleston, due to his tricks, charisma, and ability to switch sides in the blink of an eye. He was the first being in the MCU to become a big enough threat to Earth that brought together the Avengers for the first time. But, since then, he is more of an anti-hero, appearing alongside his brother Thor and even helping him defeat their estranged sister in Thor: Ragnarok.
When the MCU first introduced Loki, even Marvel wasn’t aware how popular the character would go on to become. The plan from the very beginning was to introduce him in Thor, only to then cast him as the main villain in 2012’s The Avengers. Even after the film’s success, the studio wasn’t aware of the height of the character’s popularity and their plans were to kill him off in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. But, that decision was (thankfully) reversed after Marvel ran audience testing, wherein the viewers weren’t convinced that the character could die.
However, the character who cheated death at multiple points in the MCU finally succumbed at the hands of the biggest threat that the Avengers have had to face thus far. His death in Avengers: Infinity War is considered one of the most crucial and emotional moments in the MCU. Fans were very excited when Loki made a comeback, albeit a short one, in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame as it meant that he could be appearing in future MCU projects.
After Thanos uses the Infinity Stones to wipe out half the population of the universe, the Avengers decide to go back in time to obtain the Stones once again and reverse his evil plot. This is where they encounter an alternate version of the God of Mischief. Amid some confusion, Loki is able to steal the Tesseract and use the power of the Space Stone to escape captivity. This is where the story of Disney Plus’ Loki picked up in its first episode.
Loki has so far appeared in six MCU films and such was his popularity that even after dying in Avengers: Infinity War, he returned and now has his own television series. Despite all his faults and violent acts in the past, fans expect him to achieve redemption in some way. It’s almost like fans are not ready to let him go just yet. For years, they have appreciated his compelling and fun personality, with a lot of credit going to Hiddleston for being able to portray the character with such grace.
While all the heroes in the MCU have their own characteristics, Loki is just plain entertaining. His tricks have made viewers laugh over the years, whereas his tragic past and death left them in tears. Every time he appears on screen, fans can expect the dialogues to be fun and the scene to be chaotic, all shrouded in a film of magic. Even when he is partaking in dangerous activities, it is bound to bring a smile to one’s face. His complex personality is what sets him apart from traditional MCU heroes and villains.
In the first episode of Loki, fans meet the alternate version of the character after he is captured by the Time Variance Authority. Even though it is a new Loki, he is still his cocky self and is ready to pick a fight with anyone. However, the episode is a reminder that the fan-favorite anti-hero is not the same person. This is the Loki from 2012, which is when The Avengers released and the heroes were fighting against him and The Other in order to save the planet. Since then, his character had developed immensely, all of which is now lost.
However, there is one scene that has fans convinced that Loki will be able to catch up with all of his characterizations through the MCU timeline. When captured by the TVA, Loki is interrogated by Owen Wilson’s Agent Mobius. During the conversation, Agent Mobius shows him video clips of his own life, including events that would have occurred had he not broken the timeline. When watching those clips, especially the bits of his mother dying, Loki immediately becomes emotional, and at that moment, it becomes evident that even though his memories have been reset, deep inside he is still the sensitive, magical person that fans fell in love with over time.
By the end of the episode, after he realizes that there is no way to escape the TVA, Loki is even ready to help Agent Mobius with an important task - to track down another version of himself that is out murdering people. In this journey of time travel and self-realization, Loki is bound to once again become the same version of himself that fans last saw in Avengers: Infinity War. Is that good or bad in the long run? Well, it seems like fans will just have to wait and see.
Episode 1 of Loki is now streaming on Disney Plus.