Over the last six months, the conversation surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe has focused largely on the sweeping changes to the Phase Four release schedule. Black Widow has now been delayed by an entire year, leading to a second domino effect impacting the studio’s upcoming lineup, while WandaVision leapfrogged The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to become the first Disney Plus exclusive.
Lost in the shuffle somewhat during all of this was Loki, with Tom Hiddleston’s return as the God of Mischief also being shut down in March due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which would indicate a lengthy delay given that there’s been no official news of production resuming as of yet. There’s definitely plenty of footage in the can seeing as set photos had started making their way online and the Asgardian trickster was glimpsed in a Disney Plus promo spot, but outside of a time travel element, there are no other plot details available.
However, a new theory now claims that the series could introduce an older version of Loki played by Richard E. Grant, who joined the cast in a mysterious role earlier this year. You see, the show’s time traveling adventures will span generations, meaning that both older and younger iterations of Loki will appear at various stages as he encounters alternate versions of himself.
As ScreenRant explains:
It is possible that the reason Grant’s role in Loki has been so closely guarded is that he is playing Old Loki. Instead of wearing as elaborate a costume as Kang would require, the role of Old Loki could still require Grant to suit up. If this speculation is accurate, Grant should prove to be an excellent choice to play an older version of the god of mischief. He’s no stranger to villainous roles, and he also has the range to handle all aspects of Loki’s personality.
With the possibilities of the multiverse, there are seemingly endless ways for Old Loki to appear in Loki. Since the series is following a version of Loki who hasn’t been redeemed yet, Old Loki could be used to show the extreme of his future. The old version of Loki could be from the distant future, where he’s accomplished his plan to rule. Whether that came through helping Thanos or rising to power on his own, seeing a version of Loki’s future where he did ascend to become a powerful leader would be a nice continuation of his story. Of course, it’s also possible that an old version of Loki could be featured as a tease of what his life could become if he turned good.
You could completely buy into the idea of Richard E. Grant and Tom Hiddleston playing the same character at different ages, especially when the series will visit multiple time periods and likely incorporate the rapidly expanding multiverse that’s set to debut in WandaVision. But until we get some official news from Marvel, this latest Loki theory will be filed firmly under the speculation category.