Confirmation of a Loki television series on Disney Plus was among one of the most exciting announcements to come out of San Diego Comic-Con. The show will be exclusively released on Disney's streaming service in the Spring of 2021.
As many fans speculated, the series will follow Loki in the timeline/reality from Avengers: Endgame where he escaped with the Space Stone. This means the Loki we know and loved still died at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, and this is an alternate version of Loki. The official synopsis is that Loki "pops up throughout human history as [an] unlikely influencer on historical events." The first image from the show appears to feature Loki on Earth in the 1970's.
Following a failed invasion of Earth and not yet on a redemptive arc, it seems like audiences will see a more villainous version of Loki in an alternate reality, with the God of Mischief also popping up throughout human history. Many questions still remain, but with these facts in mind, we're already thinking about which established MCU characters we'd like to see appear in the show.
Let's take a look at Loki Disney Plus: 5 MCU Characters We Want To See Return (And 5 We Don't).
Want: Thor
Loki's story is so heavily intertwined with Thor. His motivations are greatly influenced by the complex relationship he shares with his brother. The dynamic between them is one of the best elements of the Thor films. It would be a disservice to not feature Thor in the shenanigans that await in this reality. It will be fascinating to see how their relationship differs from the trajectory that occurred after the Battle of New York in the films. Loki being free with the Space Stone as opposed to being a prisoner on Asgard would definitely change Thor's arc and motivations, and it would be intriguing to see how Thor reacts to this different situation.
Don't Want: Malekith
When discussing the MCU's villain problem--particularly in Phases One and Two--Malekith is frequently mentioned in the discussion. He is the epitome of a two-dimensional, forgettable villain. With all the opportunities the show will have to explore in an alternate reality, bringing back Malekith or any of the Dark Elves seems like a wasteful opportunity to pursue.
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Loki was easily the best thing about Thor: The Dark World and there are elements of that story that are worthy of being incorporated into the show, but Malekith is not one of them.
Want: The Grandmaster
Jeff Goldblum's zany and corrupt character The Grandmaster was one of the highlights of Thor: Ragnarok. It was amusing to see how quickly Loki ingratiated himself into the Grandmaster's good graces. Any excuse to see Goldblum play the Grandmaster again is worthwhile, and it would be a delight to see this more villainous version of Loki gaining the Grandmaster's favor in this reality, only this time using his position for more conniving purposes than in Ragnarok. Loki and the Grandmaster can wreak some serious havoc together, with the audience loving them for it every step of the way thanks to Goldblum and Tom Hiddleston's endearing performances.
Don't Want: Iron Man
Following Loki's escape from New York with the Space Stone, Iron Man would have plenty of reason to pursue Loki. That being said, we don't want to see Iron Man in this reality. Avengers: Endgame served as the perfect culmination and goodbye for Iron Man's character. Bringing him back at a point in this timeline--after The Avengers where he just defeated Loki and the Chitauri army but couldn't stop Loki from escaping--is a very different version of Tony Stark. It would cheapen the completion of his character development and the emotional, final goodbye fans experienced in Endgame.
Want: Peggy Carter
With Loki interfering in Earthly affairs in the 1970's--and possibly other decades in the 20th century as well--it's prime opportunity to bring in Peggy Carter. As Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. by 1970, she would be chief among those trying to combat Loki's meddlesome schemes.
Fans are always eager to see more of Hayley Atwell playing Peggy Carter, especially in her heyday at S.H.I.E.L.D. She is the perfect character to oppose Loki in the 70's, one of the few characters who could actually be aware of his presence and understand what it means, not to mention having the S.H.I.E.L.D. resources to combat him. It would also be fun to see how Loki reacts to such a fierce and tenacious woman.
Don't Want: Captain America
Just like Iron Man, Captain America would have plenty of reason to pursue Loki after his escape from New York in this reality. Yet, just as it did for Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame served as the definitive culmination and emotional goodbye for Captain America. He passed the shield on to Sam Wilson, but the journey of Steve Rogers received its proper conclusion. It's a disservice to that ending to bring back a different version of Captain America for this story. Unlike Peggy Carter, Captain America also doesn't work for the 1970s or most other decades in the 20th century that Loki will be traveling to as Cap is frozen for most of that time.
Want: Thanos
Beyond the tease in The Avengers post-credits scene, fans never got to see how Thanos reacted to Loki's failure on Earth. Loki's failure cost Thanos both the Mind Stone and the Space Stone, which the Mad Titan would not attain for several years to come as a result. The show can provide a better look at how Thanos reacts to Loki's blunder. The particularly intriguing part is that instead of being a prisoner on Asgard with no Infinity Stones in his possession, in this reality Loki is free with the Space Stone, which is even more infuriating for Thanos. It would be compelling to see how Thanos chooses to deal with this situation and how a Loki who is still villainous would fare against Thanos, as opposed to the redemptive version of the character that was killed by the Mad Titan at the beginning of Infinity War.
Don't Want: Frigga
Frigga is a character who helped humanize Loki. Her demise--and Loki unintentionally contributing to it--was the spark for his redemption arc. The Loki in this show is supposed to be a more antagonistic character, with the show likely capitalizing on his penchant for trickery and mischief. Bringing Frigga into the story will make it difficult to maintain this version of Loki and not have him slide into a repetitive redemption arc from the films. Besides, Avengers: Endgame provided perfect closure for Frigga when she spoke with Thor when he was at rock-bottom, made him realize he was still worthy, and demonstrated that unconditional love she always feels for her sons. It was the goodbye her character deserved, one she didn't receive in Thor: The Dark World.
Want: Nebula
Nebula might seem like a strange choice as she and Loki share no history together, and she wouldn't be on Earth in the 1970's or other decades of the 20th century. Before fans knew of Loki's tragic fate in Avengers: Infinity War, though, some fans hoped he and Nebula would cross paths and form an unlikely friendship. Both were considered the black sheep of their families, constantly overshadowed by the sibling who was favored by their parents. At the time of Infinity War, both Loki and Nebula were at a redemptive point in their character arcs. The timeline of the Loki series is different, as both are still in a pretty villainous stage shortly after the Battle of New York. Given that their paths never crossed in Infinity War, it would be a treat to see them meeting each other in this timeline. Nebula would want to capture Loki and take the Space Stone from him to please Thanos, but might she find an unlikely connection to the God of Mischief?
Don't Want: Doctor Strange
The Loki series is coming in 2021, the same year Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be released. Fans will be receiving a heavy dose of Doctor Strange craziness in that film. There's no need to force his character into the Loki series, especially since Doctor Strange's own film is coming out in the same year. Thor: Love and Thunder is also coming out in 2021, but Thor fits much more naturally into a Loki series than Doctor Strange. Also, with the series picking up after the events of The Avengers--albeit with Loki free and in possession of the Space Stone--Doctor Strange is still several years away from heading to Kamar-Taj and becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, so the timing doesn't quite work.
Which characters do you want to see return in the Loki Disney Plus series? Which characters do you not want to see return? Let us know in the comments!