The MCU which began its mammoth journey with Iron Man in 2008, has successfully structured and linked the vast narratives and characters of Marvel. Over 15 years, 33 films, and still more to come, the franchise is well and truly on its way to reaching a comprehensive culmination of the various plot lines that make up the Marvel Universe.
Creating screenplays from a massive reference database provided by Marvel Comics over many years is no easy task, especially when it comes to the editing process on screen. This sometimes forces the filmmakers to let go of certain scenes for a more seamless cinematic experience. Certain deleted footage though, could shed light on a significant aspect of a character or a narrative, like MCU’s deleted scene from 2012’s The Avengers featuring an important link between Loki and Thanos.
A Deleted The Avengers Scene With Loki Gives More Insight Into Thanos’ Hold Over Him
Loki, the God of Mischief played by Tom Hiddleston, is someone who is always toppling the balance of good and evil in the MCU. The character is also a key player in the Avengers’ war with the formidable Thanos, in the latter’s quest to conquer the world. In 2012’s The Avengers, Thanos loans the Sceptre with the Mind Stone to Loki to take over the earth, with the promise that he will bring Thanos the Tesseract.
While the reason for Thanos’ hold over Loki who fears him, is not elaborated in the film, a deleted The Avengers scene that appeared on YouTube, shows an extended conversation between the God of Mischief and The Other, Thanos’ servant, that sheds light on this aspect. In the scene, the Asgardian casts some doubts about the capabilities of Thanos’ army, which prompts The Other to reveal that he was in fact, saved by The Mad Titan when he was disgraced and cast out of Asgard. Loki goes on to defend his stance by saying,
“I was a king, The rightful king of Asgard, who was betrayed”.
While this scene may not have been significant as far as the bigger picture is concerned, it points out a critical link between Loki and Thanos and explains why the former is under The Mad Titan’s control.
Is Tom Hiddleston Saying Goodbye To Loki?
Tom Hiddleston is one of the longest-tenured actors in the MCU alongside Samuel L. Jackson. With a contract of 14 years, Hiddleston’s Loki has been one of the most entertaining and loved characters, along with being a pivotal cog in the MCU wheel. But it now seems that the British star is ready to retire the character once and for all. In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Hiddleston hinted at this outcome, spoke of his fruitful and successful journey with the franchise, and said,
“It all comes full circle. It’s the conclusion to Seasons One and Two, and it’s also the conclusion to six films and 12 episodes and 14 years of my life. 14 years. I was 29 when I was cast, I’m 42 now. It’s been a journey.”
The Night Manager actor stated that the character of Loki has evolved from an ill-tempered villain to a full-fledged hero, and the finale will bring all the nuances of the complex and entertaining character full circle. And so it did.
The Avengers and Loki Season 2 are streaming on Disney+.
