MCU Theory: Richard E. Grant's Old Loki Is The Real Time-Keeper

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Loki episode 3.

A Loki twist could reveal that Richard E. Grant's Old Loki is secretly the Time-Keeper pulling the strings at the Time Variance Authority. Disney’s Loki introduces the TVA as the agency monitoring the Sacred Timeline. The organization was created by mysterious Time-Keepers in order to prevent the Marvel timeline from devolving into Multiverse chaos. To serve its Time-Keeper overlords, the TVA tracks down and eliminates variants, which are individuals who wander off their predetermined path. If variants are allowed to escape from the Sacred Timeline, it could create branching timelines that would lead to the Multiverse. To prevent this, the Time-Keepers want to keep everyone in check.

In the Loki premiere, Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief becomes a variant after stealing the Tesseract and escaping from the Avengers. It’s an act that’s not sanctioned by the Time-Keepers, so Loki is promptly arrested by the TVA and brought in to stand trial. Despite being guilty of crimes against the Sacred Timeline, Loki is saved at the last second by Owen Wilson’s Agent Mobius and recruited to track down another rogue Loki variant. It’s a curious act, considering Loki variants are regularly eliminated by the TVA, and it points to deeper conspiracies going on in the agency.

There’s something weird happening at the TVA. Despite the agency’s claims of protecting the timeline to prevent chaos, a twist in Loki episode 3 puts the official TVA story in doubt. Also, the Time-Keepers — the supposed gods watching over the timeline — are shrouded in mystery that makes them all the more suspicious. How exactly does Loki fit into the TVA’s plans? And why was he saved when so many other variants weren’t? It turns out Hiddleston's particular Loki variant may be the key to cracking the TVA mystery.

Loki's Time-Keepers Are Not What They Seem

The Time-Keepers’ official story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is nonsense, and a Loki twist just proved it. According to an instructional video at the TVA, the Time-Keepers created the agency and all of its employees; however, Loki episode 3 gives that story a major correction. While on Lamentis-1, Sophia Di Martino’s Lady Loki reveals the TVA employees weren’t created by the Time-Keepers at all. They’re all just variants that are brainwashed and forced to do the Time-Keepers’ bidding. She says the notion that the employees were created by the time overlords is “ridiculous.”

It's possible the Time-Keepers don't exist at all. Though they're supposedly interested in protecting the Sacred Timeline, the mysterious time architects have yet to make an appearance. It seems they don't even stop in their own offices. Despite working at the TVA for years, Mobius has never met them. Yes, Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Ravonna Renslayer claims to be in contact with them, but she could be part of the ruse. For now, the Time-Keepers just exist through statues and elaborate stories. Notably, there's another MCU character that also has an affinity for statues of themselves and increasingly elaborate stories, and he just so happens to be the star of the Disney+ show.

There's Another Loki Variant To Come

What Richard E. Grant Could Look Like as Old Loki

Actor Richard E. Grant confirmed his Loki casting late last year, though his role has been kept under wraps. With multiple Loki variants appearing in the series and Grant’s likeness to Hiddleston, the casting news fueled speculation that Grant plays an older version of Hiddleston’s character. The actor contributed to these rumors himself, announcing his casting on Twitter in a side-by-side photo with Hiddleston.

With so many different versions of Loki in Loki, an appearance by Old Loki almost seems inevitable. The fact that Grant’s character still hasn’t been revealed also indicates he’ll have a major surprise role in the series, so playing a different version of Loki makes sense. Besides speculation that Grant is playing Old Loki, the other prevailing theory claims he’ll be one of the Time-Keepers. But then again, why can't he be both?

Theory: Old Loki Is Behind The TVA

Loki how the Time keepers created the TVA

Hiddleston’s plan in Loki is to replace the Time-Keepers, but what if he already has? With time travel being a key part of Loki, it’s reasonable to believe one version of Loki could’ve already taken down the TVA’s Time-Keepers or whoever was previously in charge. Brainwashing variants to be mindless drones also seems well within Loki's capabilities. The God of Mischief already shows he can enter people's minds in Thor: Ragnarok, breaking into Valkyrie's (Tessa Thompson) memories. Changing people's memories is just the next logical step for power-hungry antiheroes, and it's an ability that a number of Loki variants, especially older ones, could be capable of.

Additionally, the Loki premiere drops hints that some version of Loki is secretly in charge. In the episode, Hiddleston's Loki says freedom is an “oppressive lie” and “choice breeds shame and uncertainty and regret.” The statement seems like it's taken directly from TVA business cards. The TVA's mission is to keep everyone on their predetermined path, and eliminating the pesky need for choice is its forte. Of course, Loki doesn't include himself in the masses that need their choices taken away. And when it comes to the TVA, everyone has a predetermined path except for the all-powerful Time-Keepers. If Loki isn't already a Time-Keeper, he's certainly doing a good impression of one.

Old Loki Is Protecting His Sacred Variant

If Old Loki is behind the TVA, he may be the one looking out for his old variant. Time and time again, the TVA prunes Loki variants except for Hiddleston’s character. If an older version of Loki did take over the TVA, he'd probably have a special interest in eliminating other Loki variants that could replace him. But for some reason, Mobius, who says he’s “a fan” of the God of Mischief, saves Hiddleston’s Loki from destruction. He also vouches for him when things go awry. It could be a clue that Old Loki is watching out for his younger self. He's in control of the timeline, and he wants to keep his cycle of power going.

An Older Loki looking out for Hiddleston's character would be a shocking TVA twist that may come sooner than fans expect. Loki episode 3 leaves Loki and Lady Loki stranded on Lamentis-1, a moon on the brink of destruction. The pair don't have much hope of escape. However, if they have a Time-Keeper watching over them, their circumstances could quickly change.

Loki constantly hints that a version of the God of Mischief is behind everything. In the premiere, Mobius makes it clear that Loki has more potential than just taking over Earth or Asgard, saying, “Why does someone with so much range just wanna rule?” Hiddleston's character later calls the TVA the greatest power in the universe, setting his sights on it as his next benchmark in a never-ending search for greatness (or at least some self-worth). Plus, all the mystery around the Time-Keepers makes the whole situation feel like The Wizard of Oz, with some secret TVA villain or self-aggrandizing con artist directing things from behind the scenes. Who better to do that than the greatest MCU con artist of all?

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Loki releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.