Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe could introduce Old Loki on Disney+, in the upcoming Loki TV series. The god of mischief was one of the biggest and most popular characters in the MCU during the Infinity Saga. Tom Hiddleston's captivating performance as Loki made him a fan-favorite, which is why he repeatedly cheated death to come back for more fun. Avengers: Infinity War saw the original Loki die for good, but the multiverse will allow him to return again in Phase 4.
During Avengers: Endgame's time travel missions, the Avengers messed with the timeline in 2012. The mission set during the events of The Avengers concluded with the team failing to acquire all three Infinity Stones, as Loki stole the Tesseract. He used the Space Stone to escape capture by the 2012 Avengers, and it's this Loki who will be the star of the Disney+ series. Although this wasn't intentionally done to set up a series, Hiddleston will return in a leading role to play a version of Loki who has yet to be redeemed.
Plot details on Loki have been tough to come by, but it is confirmed that time travel and the multiverse will be key to the show's events. The brief snippet of official footage released by Disney and Marvel Studios showed Loki imprisoned by the Time Variance Authority, an organization that patrols and protects the multiverse. Based on some set photos, Owen Wilson appears to be working with Loki as part of the TVA, but the roles for fellow cast members Gugu Mbatha Raw and Richard E. Grant haven't been confirmed. Ccould Richard E. Grant be playing an older version of Loki?
The Loki Disney+ Show Might Include Multiple Lokis
The multiverse angle for Loki has opened the door for the series to explore the idea of multiple versions of the character. The show is already confirmed to star a second version of Loki in the MCU as well. Showrunner Michael Waldron previously teased that a big part of Loki is his struggle with identity and control. Part of this conflict that Loki has throughout the series could be the result of him seeing various versions of himself and his life.
One alternate version of Loki that the series appears ready to introduce is Lady Loki. Even before filming began, it was reported that Lady Loki could have a role in the series. In the comics, Loki takes on the female form when his spirit inhabits a body meant for Lady Sif. There have since been set photos from Loki that appear to confirm that the female version of the god of mischief will appear. Sophia Di Martino was spotted on set in Loki's costume, and it was after her casting that reports of Lady Loki having a role in the series first surfaced.
In addition to Lady Loki, there has also long been an expectation that a young version of Loki will appear. While some of this could just be through flashbacks, another story in the comics saw Loki reborn as Kid Loki. This younger version of Loki has become a regular character in the comics over the last decade, with him even joining the Young Avengers for a time. It isn't known who will play young/Kid Loki or if he is in the series at all, but his inclusion was one of the earliest rumors about Loki. If Kid Loki and Female Loki are in the show, then there will likely be other versions of the god of mischief as well.
Is Richard E. Grant Playing Old Loki?
When it was first announced that Grant joined Loki, his role was described as a mystery character who would have to wear a costume. He will also reportedly only be in one episode of the series. At first, this saw a lot of speculation turn to the possibility of Grant playing Kang, but we now know that Jonathan Majors will play Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man 3 and the wider MCU. Meanwhile, Grant has confirmed that he will appear in Loki, and did so by highlighting the similarities between how he and Hiddleston look: blue eyes, dark hair, and similar facial structures.
It is possible that the reason Grant's role in Loki has been so closely guarded is that he is playing Old Loki. Instead of wearing as elaborate a costume as Kang would require, the role of Old Loki could still require Grant to suit up. If this speculation is accurate, Grant should prove to be an excellent choice to play an older version of the god of mischief. He's no stranger to villainous roles, and he also has the range to handle all aspects of Loki's personality.
How Old Loki Can Appear In The Show
With the possibilities of the multiverse, there are seemingly endless ways for Old Loki to appear in Loki. Since the series is following a version of Loki who hasn't been redeemed yet, Old Loki could be used to show the extreme of his future. The old version of Loki could be from the distant future, where he's accomplished his plan to rule. Whether that came through helping Thanos or rising to power on his own, seeing a version of Loki's future where he did ascend to become a powerful leader would be a nice continuation of his story. Of course, it's also possible that an old version of Loki could be featured as a tease of what his life could become if he turned good.
There is another intriguing possibility for how Old Loki could appear in Loki: as the head of the TVA. The comics version of the TVA was formed in the future, so it would be quite the twist for Loki to be the one who actually created it. Old Loki could be a future version of the character from another timeline who also knows the danger of messing with the timeline. This could even potentially help explain why Loki suddenly begins working with the TVA and is a target of them. Old Loki could use his power as the head of TVA to monitor the multiverse with a special interest in making sure he is not behind any problems. Plus, if there is anyone who could convince a 2012 version of Loki to help protect the multiverse, it would be himself.
Of course, all of this is speculation for the time being. There's no confirmation that Old Loki will be in Loki, much less that Richard E. Grant will play him. However, it would be an intriguing wrinkle for the show to deal with, especially if multiple other versions of Loki are going to appear anyway.