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Wild ‘Loki’ theory joins several dots and lands on the return of a long-absent villain

All the signs point to a massive villainous return.

Image via Disney Plus

It’s always risky business to try and come to any sort of conclusion based on a trailer alone, but one fan thinks there are enough clues in the Loki season two trailer to point toward a big villain’s return.

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As is often the case with Marvel, there’s not a lot to go off regarding the plot of Loki season two so far, but there are plenty of little hints as to what we could expect. Some eagle-eyed viewers have already spotted characters and details that point toward an old comic storyline. If you follow the threads far enough, you’ll find out just who the big bad of the second season will be as one fan has done on the MarvelStudios subreddit.

The Redditor explains that the focus on Brad Wolfe and the villain who possesses him in the comics known as Zaniac is important. They go into detail regarding their comic book appearances, but the short story is that Zaniac was sent by none other than Dormammu.

doctor strange dormammu
Image via Marvel Studios

“It’s a very weird pull for an MCU show, considering the character’s arc was pretty unforgettable. Except, if you look at its origin…

Zaniac was sent to Earth by DORMAMMU”

It’s definitely a possibility as Dormammu never actually died in his encounter with Doctor Strange, so it makes sense to bring back the deity from the Dark Dimension. What we’re shown in the trailer all seems to line up with this theory, too, although some fans are a little skeptical, writing off the presence of Brad Wolfe and Zaniac as mere Easter eggs.

“Nah, the character will probably have a very small role in the series just like his comic counterpart had in the comics and the Zaniac thing is definitely just an Easter egg.”

However, considering how much focus there is on the character in the trailer and the choice to show the “Zaniac” movie suggests that they will be following the comic plotline closely. That could also mean that we’ll be seeing our old friend Dormammu again because why else would this admittedly obscure comic story be brought into the show?

There’s an abundance of theories regarding who will make an appearance in Loki and what it will all be about. One fan speculated that Mephisto could be brought into the MCU in the new season. This could make sense, considering he is somewhat similar to Dormammu in the sense that he is a powerful being from another dimension.

Some agreed that Dormammu might be the one to return, but only to set up Doctor Strange 3. Others went as far as thinking Dormammu could be a replacement for Kang given the ongoing situation with Jonathan Majors right now. Majors does appear in the trailer, so Marvel clearly hasn’t given up on him just yet. Could Dormammu be Marvel’s backup plan to step in as the next big bad for the Avengers to face?