Loki’s character was one that was done justice throughout his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starting in the first Thor film, he was a mere villain, acting out because of his father’s lack of affection and desperately looking for some form of higher purpose to give meaning to his life. We saw him die a number of times, each holding different significance to the characters around him and himself. From dying for good at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, something that left the audiences in shock for the years to come, to being reborn in an almost unrecognizable yet believable way in the Loki series.
After the most beautifully written character arcs, we reach the end of the second season of this series, finally giving him his glorious purpose and having more meaning to his life than the mischief that he causes. Loki, The God of Stories. As Morbius told his character in their last conversation, his purpose came with a price, something more likely to feel like a burden than give him glory. Interestingly enough, the Head writer compared his character’s end to that of a tragic tale from Greek mythology, one that could hypothetically be co-related to a character that made its appearance at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder.
Also Read: Tom Hiddleston’s Iconic Marvel Series and Attack on Titan are Unusual Parallels of Each Other
Loki’s Burden Is Similar To That Of Atlas
At the end of this series, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, notorious for his selfishness when he was first introduced, decides to let go of his wants, his desires, and his life, only to make sure that he is the kind of god he wishes to be, a just and a better one. This leaves him alone with the knowledge and responsibility of the multiverse in his hands. This sort of burden isn’t unheard of in human history, with the perfect example of this much weight on someone’s shoulder being that of Atlas. During an interview with Esquire, the head writer of this episode, Eric Martin, spoke on exactly this.
“I leave that up to interpretation. That final image is meant to be ambiguous. So I’ll let people make up their own minds there. If you look into mythology, someone like Atlas is an interesting person to look at with that.”
The writer was asked if the final shot of this character’s face, right as the series ends, was supposed to be a way of telling the audience that he is suffering, and regretting the choice he made. To this, Martin stated that this was completely up to the interpretation of the viewer. He explained this is open for debate and would be something we would not find out for quite some time. He added that for better understanding and co-relation, a person who first comes to his mind who met a fate similar to Loki was that of Atlas, the Titan from Greek mythology.
This Atlas Symbolism Could Lead To Thor: Love and Thunder
The tale of Atlas is one that is well-known and talked about when the topic of Greek mythology comes up. Atlas, the Titan, sided with others like him during the war against the Olympians. When the Titans lost, many were punished in many different ways, some being condemned to the deepest parts of Hell, Tartarus. He, on the other hand, was dealt a much different fate at the hands of Zeus. Some interpretations suggest that he was punished by having to carry the heavens on his shoulder, while some suggest it was the entire earth. Regardless of what he was carrying, it is safe to say it was quite the burden.
When put next to the story of Loki and the fate that he has gotten, the similarities are undeniable, even though Atlas is a part of Marvel Comics. While it is unlikely that Loki will be Marvel’s replacement for Atlas in the live-action universe, considering the basics of these two stories are quite different, it is still a parallel that should not be brushed over. With this, it is understandable why Eric Martin compared these two.
Interestingly enough, in the legends, over time, Atlas’ story intertwines with that of Hercules, turning into a tale of deception, trickery, and betrayal. With the fact that these are all traits that Loki Laufeyson is known for, and the fact that Hercules has already made his way into the MCU through Thor: Love and Thunder, things start to get a bit peculiar. Speculation of a connection between these two wouldn’t be the most far-fetched thing considering Marvel’s tendency of hinting and leading up to things like that.
