Marvel's television revolution is in full swing, and Loki will look to build on the momentum generated by WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Kevin Feige has teased that the show will be "intriguingly different" and hype around the series has led fans to speculate on just what the story may be about. With the show still months away, everything remains up in the air, but one recent theory -- that Loki will be putting a new spin on the monster of the week trope -- could have a ton of potential.
Reddit user u/TheMediocreCritic has suggested that the multiverse-related problems that the Time Variance Authority has recruited the trickster god to fix are Loki himself. By stealing the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame, Mobius M. Mobius explains that Loki fractured the timeline, creating multiple parallel realities. Presumably, at least some of these new, divergent timelines now feature their own version of Loki who is up to no good, requiring the TVA to step in, stop him and thereby "protect the proper flow of time," as is their mandate.
If this theory proves true, each episode's plot could revolve around Loki confronting and likely stopping a new version of himself, with the twist being that the "monster of the week" is actually a variant of the main character. There's no shortage of alternate version of the God of Mischief to pull from, including Lady Loki, Kid Loki, President Loki, King Loki from the comics, as well as any new versions the show's writers may create.
Despite the limited footage revealed so far, there are actually a few major clues that could back up this concept. One of the most notable is Mobius M. Mobius explaining that they are recruiting this particular Loki because they need his "unique Loki perspective." It may be puzzling to consider what insight the TVA could need from him, unless he is helping to hunt down himself. In this case, he could provide the TVA with a look at how he thinks and operates, giving them a leg up in bringing his many variants down.
The trailers have also featured different Lokis, ranging from what appears to be President Loki to a suited Loki jumping from an airplane. While the initial instinct might be to assume that they are all the same character, it's equally likely that they could each be the audience's first look at a few of his variants. Actor Sophia Di Martino has also been spotted on set wearing a costume resembling Loki's Asgardian outfit, which could mean he will also face Lady Loki in at least one episode.
There is also a strong thematic motivation behind the Loki-of-the-week format. Having to observe different versions of himself from a third-person perspective could give the Tesseract-stealing Loki a chance to see how he affects the people around him, and where he could improve. Tom Hiddleston has stated that the show's core theme is identity, which ties in perfectly to Loki having to repeatedly confront his own personality and all of its flaws, something he has long failed to tackle in a productive manner.
From a filmmaking perspective, this format can also generate multiple seasons, which Marvel producer Nate Moore has indicated is a possibility for the show. As long as there are new Lokis to face in order to protect the multiverse, the studio can continue to produce more episodes to satisfy fans of one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.
If this concept does prove to be true, it could certainly open up the door to a near limitless variety of storylines to bring to the screen. The few scenes in Avengers: Endgame that saw characters interact with alternate versions of themselves were a hit with audiences, and now Loki can explore them with even more depth and breadth than ever before. If the formula is successful, fans can probably expect to continue seeing Loki, or even multiple versions of him, in Marvel projects for years to come.
Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard E. Grant. The series premieres June 11 on Disney+.
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