Loki's New Powers Could Bring Back Dead Marvel Heroes - And That Changes The MCU
While it might seem like the God of Stories, aka Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is unable to leave his throne following the events of "Loki" Season 2, that doesn't mean there might be more mischief to be made by the newly appointed man out of time. Already, Hiddleston was poked and prodded on over just what kind of game-changing tactics could be applied by the Asgardian prince that could impact the MCU's past, present, or future and if that could include formerly fallen heroes that were deemed permanently out of action.
When asked on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" if Loki could bring back Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hiddleston stayed cryptic over the character he's inhabited for 14 years. "I mean, time slipping technically gives Loki some interesting... moves he can make," he teased, dancing around time-traveling jargon that's now standard practice for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "I suppose, yeah, he can move from past, present, future. I know that I can time slip. I don't know that other characters can time slip," referring to the billionaire playboy philanthropist who died from a single snap. Of course, of all the characters to get involved in bringing heroes of the MCU back from the dead, Hiddleston's villain-turned-hero would certainly have an idea on the matter which is precisely why it's not something to be ruled out.
Tom Hiddleston deems death as up for grabs in the MCU
Since his debut in Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" in 2011, Tom Hiddleston's Loki has been presumed dead four times from either his own choosing or circumstances that even he didn't see coming. Now that he's the newly appointed He Who Remains, there's no reason that he can take off his crown as the Comeback King and give someone else a shot instead. "Speaking for myself, Loki's died a few times, come back — I'm still here," Hiddleston explained, referring to his on-screen alter ego. "So I don't know that death is necessarily — I mean, death is up for grabs as an existential question. That's all I can give you."
But can Loki give us anything else? Having already saved all of time, is there a chance that he could play with the timeline he's been so set on keeping in check? Doing so could certainly cause massive issues for the future of the MCU, but doing so, could lead this world to become even more like the comic book one it's adapted from.
Heroes could return from the dead because comics do it regularly
Protagonists parrying the Grim Reaper in film and television isn't anything new. Everyone from Spock, Buffy Summers to Kenny McCormick has made it back to the land of the living, and while Loki might be one of the few in the MCU to have done the same, it's surprising it isn't more. Comic book heroes and villains go through deaths like costume changes, so seeing some of them get the same treatment on the big screen feels like an inevitability, and with recent reports of Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson getting considered to reprise their roles as Iron Man and Black Widow, it seems likely.
It'd certainly draw in crowds. But what feels more compelling now is that Loki could be the one to do it. After being burdened with a glorious purpose and using that to save, well, everything, having him bring back some souls that were once determined to end him would be great to see. With that said, it could dampen the danger levels and remove any finality in the franchise. A perfect balance would need to be established, and it'd need to feel earned by whoever gets picked for a second chance. Of course, after a handful of films, a show of his own, and a one-of-a-kind journey, no one's more worthy to make that call than Loki.