Tom Hiddleston could have sported a very different hairdo when he returned to reprise his role as Chris Hemsworth's  conniving brother in Thor: Ragnarok if this new concept artwork received the go-ahead from Marvel Studios. The fan-favorite British actor returned into the thick of the Marvel Cinematic Universe last year to play Asgard's royal adopted son in the third installment of the God of Thunder's own sub-franchise.

Arguably, what makes Loki memorable in terms of aesthetics are his mischievous smile and black hair. But just as how director Taika Waititi attempted to revitalize the Thor franchise by getting rid of the old and introducing a lot of things that are new, there was a time that Odin's adopted son could have sported a very different hair-do. Just like his brother, he could have had a haircut for a cleaner, slicker look based on a newly emerged concept art for Ragnarok.

RELATED: Watch Thor: Ragnarok Director Taika Waititi’s Hilarious Gag Reel

Marvel artist Aleksi Briclot showcases his artwork on Loki with a shaven cut on the sides with the middle part retaining its hair, almost looking like a longer mohawk. Aside from the Prince of Mischief looking all mighty with his usual green-colored robes, Fenris Wolf is notably in the background of the image - an odd pairing considering that the creature was Hela's loyal companion. Check out the illustration shared by the creator's official Instagram account below:

Another early concept art for Loki the mischievous God of Lies and Mischief for Thor : Ragnarök! Played by the intense and awesome #twhiddleston. The final concept was signed by @anthony_francisco_art. I was trying something else with the haircut on this one. - #loki #thor #thorragnarok #mcu #marvel #marvelcinematicuniverse #tomhiddleston #asgard #characterconcept #conceptart #instaart #asgard #kirby #marvelstudios #digitalpainting #ragnarok

A post shared by Aleksi Briclot (@aleksibriclot) on Dec 24, 2017 at 11:17am PST

It's difficult to imagine Loki without the signature long locks he's sported since we first met him in 2011 in Thor's debut movie. Over the course of the years, appearing for three more movies (Avengers, Thor: The Dark World and Ragnarok) he continues to sport the slightly longer do than your usual men's cut. And while the artwork makes him look more menacing and ruthless, it takes away from the character's sense of mischief and playfulness. Keeping his longer mane sort of maintains his existing characterization as a conniving character that sometimes does the right thing, but other times opt to choose the wrong ones.

It's safe to say that Marvel Studios will be sticking with Loki's long locks when Avengers: Infinity War and the still-untitled Avengers 4 movie (if he survives until then) rolls out. But word has it, that much like the principal heroes of the MCU, that the flip-flopping character could meet his end in either of the films. Considering that he will be with mad Titan Thanos throughout this endeavor, it will be interesting whether he'll die a hero or a villain.

MORE: Thor: Ragnarok Gets How It Should Have Ended Treatment

Source: aleksibriclot

Key Release Dates