Tom Hiddleston continues to excel in his performance as Loki in the second season of the Disney+ series. Loki is turning out to be one of Marvel’s finest TV productions. However, it might surprise fans to learn that there were no initial plans to resurrect the character, as Loki’s death in Avengers: Infinity War was intended to be conclusive. Kevin Feige revealed that his role in Avengers: Endgame was merely meant as an obstacle in the Avengers’ time travel mission.
However, Hiddleston’s brief appearance in the film paved the way for the Loki series. The series was only planned after Avengers: Endgame had hit theaters. The show and character received immense love, leading to the first MCU TV project with a second season.
Tom Hiddleston Was Not Expected To Return After Avengers: Endgame
Tom Hiddleston’s Loki met a tragic end in Avengers: Infinity War, just as it seemed he had reconciled with Thor. Thanos ruthlessly killed him after the God of Mischief’s failed attempt to deceive and kill him. Loki had come back from death more than once in the previous movies, but this devastating scene appeared to mark the character’s conclusive end.
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hiddleston admitted that he also believed this was his final appearance in the MCU. Even when he was asked to return for the time travel scene in Avengers: Endgame, the Crimson Peak actor never anticipated a future for his character in the universe. Hiddleston shared with EW:
“It felt very, very final, and I thought, ‘OK, that’s it. This is Loki’s final bow and a conclusive end to the Odinson saga.’”
Kevin Feige also revealed that the Loki series was not on his mind as Endgame was in production. He shared that the Loki scene in Endgame served as nothing more than a “wrinkle” for the Avengers’ mission in the film. However, before Endgame‘s release, Disney President Bob Iger discussed with him the possibilities of a Marvel original series on the platform, leading to the development of Loki. Feige told EW:
“[That scene] was really more of a wrinkle so that one of the missions that the Avengers went on in Endgame could get screwed up and not go well. Which is what required Cap and Tony to go further back in time to the ’70s. I think the notion that we had left this hanging loose end with Loki gave us the in for what a Loki series could be. So by the time [Endgame] came out, we did know where it was going.”
It’s evident from the reception of Loki that fans couldn’t get enough of the charmingly mischievous God.
This Was Not The First Time Tom Hiddleston Was Brought Back
Marvel initially intended to let go of Tom Hiddleston after Thor: The Dark World. By the second Thor film, Loki had already played a challenging villain to the Avengers, and fans loved him. Loki’s character was meant to have a conclusive end after the movie’s climax where he was stabbed. However, test audiences hated this part, which prompted Marvel to bring him back.
Hiddleston went on to star in Thor: Ragnarok, which became a huge hit, further endearing fans to Loki. While the character in the Disney+ series didn’t undergo the same character development as the original timeline Loki, he was exposed to events of this timeline at the TVA. Loki also introduced the supervillain for MCU’s Multiverse Saga – Kang the Conqueror.
The 5th episode of Loki Season 2 is scheduled to stream on November 2 on Disney+.
