With Loki recently re-entering production, rumors have been flying about what we can expect from the coming show. Among these rumors, ranging from an early appearance of expected Ant-Man 3 villain, Kang, to the introduction of the Squadron Supreme, Marvel’s semi-infamous analogues for DC’s Justice League, one theme has remained ever-present: Multiple incarnations of Loki could be present. From these, the most popular theory among fans has been Lady Loki, a version of the character whose name sums up her premise fairly well, though several other versions, including Kid Loki and, thanks to recent evidence, “Classic” Loki, have also been part of the conversation.
Considering that fans had been introduced to the Multiverse in Avengers: Endgame (with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Crisis on Infinite Earths also utilizing the concept outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and with more on the way in What If? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it was an obvious conclusion to come to that these alternate versions of Loki would be coming from said Multiverse. They do, after all, fit the bill perfectly: radically different versions of the same character, however, in the source material, these ‘alternate versions’ all represent different eras in what is (more or less) the same character in the same timeline.
Despite all this, there is, of course, the possibility that Loki will follow the path of many other Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptations, taking queues from the source material while forging their own mythos, thus it is entirely possible (even likely) that all the alternate Lokis will be coming from the Multiverse. Nonetheless, with more Loki info doubtlessly on the way, let’s get everyone acquainted with the wonderful world of the god of lies.
Lady Loki
Following the death of the gods (again) during 2004’s Ragnarok story arc in the pages of Thor, Loki found himself inside of a body intended for Lady Sif, portrayed in the Thor movies and two episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Jaimie Alexander. This version of Loki began to go by Lady Loki, but she would eventually return to a more classic form shortly before dying once again in 2009’s Siege event.
While this version of Lady Loki, one inhabiting Lady Sif’s body, wouldn’t make an official return following Siege, another “Lady Loki” would make an appearance in 2014’s Loki: Agent of Asgard. This version was connected to Loki’s (now canon) gender fluidity, as Loki showed themselves capable of shifting between various forms, while still remaining “Loki”, and would later help Loki blend in with the angels of Heven, a society entirely comprised of women in the pages of Thor and Loki: The Tenth Realm. This reveal is the one that would bring “Lady Loki” to the eye of the wider fanbase, an ironic fact considering that she isn’t technically Lady Loki, this version of Loki never referred to herself as such.
When actress Sophia Di Martino was cast as Tom Hiddleston’s costar for Loki, many believed that she would be portraying Lady Loki. When set photos were released of her in costume, a costume seemingly made up of Asgardian armor with a green and yellow aesthetic, these theories seemed more reliable. Despite this, there’s an equally popular belief that Di Martino is playing a Thor villain, the Enchantress, one that could also fit all of the evidence provided (and matches up with the actress’s blonde hair in the set photos, something that no incarnation of Loki has ever had). However, even if Di Martino isn’t Lady Loki, recent rumors have pointed to Jaimie Alexander returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While this could have her back in the role of Sif, there’s also the possibility that she’ll be appearing in Loki as a (more or less) comic-accurate take on Lady Loki.
“Classic” Loki
Earlier this month, the Loki IMDB page was updated with a stunt actor being listed to be for “Classic Loki”, a piece of news that has led fans to believe that Richard Grant would be playing an alternate version of the titular character. While the comics never refer to a character by this name, this would probably be referring to the incarnation of the character that existed for over 40 years, spanning from the first appearance of Thor and Loki in 1962, all the way to the previously mentioned Siege, where Loki died one last time (kind of).
This version was generally older in appearance, darker in personality, and was more explicitly villainous in his actions than the Tom Hiddleston Loki that fans have grown used to. Despite his final death during Siege, this Loki would set up a series of events that would lead to a new Loki entering existence.
A character resembling this incarnation of Loki would later make an appearance in Loki: Agent of Asgard as the current Loki’s (possible) future, representing Loki’s fears of being stuck in the role of the villain for the rest of time. Due to the fact that when Hiddleston was cast in the role, he had been expected to be portraying this take on Loki, there’s not much basis in the comics for how this Loki could be playing into the grander story.
However, considering the fact that Hiddleston will be returning as an Avengers-era Loki (arguably the most villainous the character has been on screen) and the struggle that Loki faced with being a hero in Thor Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War leading up to his death, there’s a good chance that Grant’s Classic Loki will be taking from the latter of the “classic Lokis”, representing a dark future for Hiddleston’s Loki.
Kid Loki
In November of 2010, following his final death earlier that year, Loki re-entered the world of Marvel Comics… kind of. In the lead-up to his death, the original Loki had set up events that would allow him to return to the land of the living in some form. Thus, Kid Loki entered the scene.
While Kid Loki was a reincarnation of the original, he was established to be his own person. He still used trickery and manipulation to get his way, but now that way was for the benefit of the people that he loved, especially his brother, Thor. Many Asgardians were skeptical of the reborn Loki for obvious reasons, but after a while, he managed to win many of them over, even despite a few moves that appeared to point to betrayal. Following a few adventures of his own, he was forced to sacrifice himself and merge with a ghost of his former self, dying after a tearful conversation with his brother.
Following Kid Loki’s death, he would make two short reappearances, once as a ghost, representing the new Loki’s guilt (more on him later), and once as a temporary revival in the pages of Asgardians of the Galaxy, donning the Destroyer armor, before dissipating after completing his goals.
A recent report of Loki casting stated that a young actor was being sought for an unspecified role. This casting call fit the description that an actor portraying Kid Loki would have. It is worth considering that this doesn’t even close to confirm Kid Loki’s appearance. He is, after all, a child version of Loki, so this actor could very well be playing a young version of the titular character in flashbacks.
Ikol
When Kid Loki sacrificed himself to save the world, he was forced to allow the lingering ghost of the Loki before him (nicknamed Ikol by Kid Loki) into his mind. With that, the new Loki was born… again. Now existing in the body of Kid Loki and being gifted with all of the trust and love that Kid Loki had earned through his actions, Ikol set out trying to get more power.
During the 2013 run of Young Avengers, Loki manipulated events in an attempt to gain just that, using the abilities of Wiccan, the reality-warping reincarnation of Scarlet Witch’s son, to age up Loki’s body to that of a young adult. Despite joining the Young Avengers as a manipulator for his own gain, Loki grows to care for them, his conscious preventing him from betraying them, and he helps them defeat the villain that he helped create in the first place. His actions in this series start Ikol on the path to proper redemption.
In the pages of Loki: Agent of Asgard, Loki carries out the will of the Queens of Asgard in exchange for his past sins being wiped from Asgard’s records. During that time, he encounters his dark future self (mentioned earlier as a version of Classic Loki), moves past his guilt, and leaves behind his name as the God of Lies, becoming the God of Stories. Following all that, a run for presidency, two successful attempts to lift Thor’s hammer, and at least four deaths (and subsequent rebirths), Loki currently sits on the throne of Jotunheim, ruling over his people as the King of the Frost Giants.
It’s important to note that Ikol (especially in his current status quo) was very likely created as a response to the insane popularity of Hiddleston’s take on the character. As such, it’s entirely possible that this incarnation doesn’t appear in the show, or, if he does, would be changed enough to differentiate him from the show’s lead. Nonetheless, if Kid Loki does in fact get introduced and stays around for long enough, the actor would eventually age into someone more resembling Ikol, even if the canon story for the character isn’t the same.
1 comment
No incarnation of Loki has ever had blonde hair? Is that a joke? One of your pictures in this article shows Loki with blonde hair, like he did for many years in the comics ????