Fans of Marvel comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been clamoring for close to a decade now for Loki, God of Mischief, to have a story solely centered on him. He has had many supporting roles in films up until now, and most notably has always been an antagonist or an uneasy ally to the heroes.
In his titular series, a version of Loki from earlier in the MCU timeline escapes and becomes the protagonist of his own story. This highly anticipated show has many things fans have wanted to see from Loki, and the MCU, for quite some time, and things that hint at big changes in the MCU going forward.
Wunmi Mosaku
Wunmi Mosaku is a Nigerian-British actress who fans are familiar with from her standout performance on HBO's Lovecraft Country. In the horror series, Mosaku portrayed Ruby Baptiste, Black woman living in 1950's Chicago. Her character dealt with issues of race, not to mention the occult and supernatural horrors that permeate the series.
Mosaku's performance was a knockout and cemented her as a talent to watch, so her involvement in Loki in any capacity is a win for the show and fans are eager to see what she brings to the series.
Owen Wilson
The MCU has always been great at casting their projects and thinking outside the box when it comes to traditional casting. Jeff Goldblum, Kurt Russell, and Kathryn Hahn are just a few examples of actors one might not immediately imagine when thinking of MCU stars, but they all crushed the roles they were given.
Comedy superstar Owen Wilson can now be added to that list. His role as Mobius M. Mobius in Loki looks like pitch-perfect casting and from clips and trailers and he seems to have lots of chemistry with Tom Hiddleston. His involvement and seemingly perfect performance have fans excited to see more.
Kid Loki
While not confirmed, it has been heavily rumored that Kid Loki will appear in the series. Loki is said to showcase different versions of the character, not solely the one that escaped with the tesseract in Avengers: Endgame. In the comics, Kid Loki is a version of Loki that was reborn after the real Loki sacrificed himself to try and save Asgard.
He is depicted as more heroic than his adult counterpart while only having a portion of that Loki's memories. The MCU has done well with child actors and young characters before, so if Kid Loki is coming, fans have faith that he will be accurately depicted.
The TVA
The TVA, or Time Variance Authority, is a new organization being introduced in Loki but has been in the comics for decades. They exist outside the known bounds of space and time to protect and preserve the timelines in the comics, whereas audiences are mainly only aware of one main timeline in the MCU.
The TVA looks like it is being portrayed accurately and faithfully to the comics while also making it a district entity for this series. The bureaucratic and office-like setting combined with sci-fi elements calls to mind The Umbrella Academy and there is no doubt Loki will be just as popular as the hit Netflix show.
Judge Renslayer
Gugu Mbatha-Raw portrays Ravonna Renslayer in Loki, who is a high-ranking judge in the TVA. Mbatha-Raw is an extremely talented actress who fans will remember from her breakout role in the "San Junipero" episode of Black Mirror but has yet to truly crossover into the mainstream.
This role has the potential to be her biggest shot yet, and based on the comics, has a lot of material for her to play with. She is also the lover of Kang the Conqueror who is rumored to be teased in this series as well. A role worthy of Mbatha-Raw's talents and big MCU connections make this character one to watch,
Kang The Conqueror References
Another Lovecraft Country alumni to join the MCU is that series' star, Johnathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. He is not confirmed to appear in Loki, but there are many hints that he will at least be referenced in the series. Not only is Judge Renslayer a huge hint, but Loki is all about timelines and time travel, which is Kang's specialty.
A villain from the future, Kang travels to different timelines and dimensions to conquer and alter them, while different versions of him appear throughout various timelines, such as Iron Lad who is an original member of the Young Avengers. These clues are anticipated easter eggs in Loki and will no doubt pay off in the future of the MCU.
MCU Ramifications
Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, has stated that Loki is the MCU Disney+ show with the most ramifications going forward, which delighted many fans. Shows like WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier were hits with audiences and critics alike.
But some fans felt that besides setting up Sam Wilson as the new Captain America and having Wanda Maximoff finally come into her power and embrace her destiny as The Scarlet Witch, there was little forward momentum or ripples sent through the MCU as a whole. It is exciting to hear that Loki will change that and affect the MCU as a whole.
More Time Travel
Time travel in the MCU hadn't really been utilized in its fullest potential until 2019's Avengers: Endgame, where the heroes travel to fan-favorite and pivotal moments in MCU history, in order to change their present. This provided a plethora of great moments with characters like Thor, Nebula, and Tony Stark, and provided the setup for Loki itself.
Using time travel in this series with a character like Loki means that anything, anytime, and anywhere is possible. Real historical events like the eruption of Vesuvius seem to play into the series, and seeing how they blend world history with comic book sci-fi fantasy will be a blast.
Lady Loki
Lady Loki has been a fan-favorite character ever since she debuted in the comics and it is not hard to see why. This female version of the trickster is just as charming, snake-tongued, and gorgeous as one would expect. Lady Loki should come as no surprise to fans of the MCU or even Norse mythology, as Loki is a shapeshifter known to take on many forms.
Recently on social media, Marvel released a promotional image for Loki stating his gender as fluid, prompting many fans to take this as confirmation Lady Loki was all but confirmed to appear in the series, most likely played by acclaimed actress and cast member Sophia Di Martino. Her role is yet to be named, and all signs point to this.
More Mischievous Loki
Throughout his arc in the MCU, Loki went from a conniving, backstabbing villain to a loving, selfless brother, with a few stops at "anti-hero" along the way. But seeing as how the show's version of Loki is plucked from the events directly after the epic climactic battle in 2012's The Avengers, he is still very much still in a deceitful, duplicitous state of being, which fans love.
The unpredictability of his character is part of the appeal and makes watching the films he is featured in even more engaging. Never knowing what he'll do next, who he'll help or betray, what cause he'll join for his own self-serving purposes is all part of the fun of Loki. Getting back to that core of the character already has fans chomping at the bit.