Prepare the way, Loki is coming. While the world is still recovering from a 9-week tour of Wanda Maximoff’s grief and trauma in WandaVision and preparing to explore the PTSD of Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, another Marvel show is hiding around the bend — and for once, it looks like it won’t be about grief or trauma. In fact, it could be quite a family reunion.
What Happened? — Redditor u/cupcakecanary noticed child actor Jack Veal post a picture of the recently released Loki poster on his Instagram, which seems to confirm a leak reported by Murphy’s Multiverse last year stating the actor would have a role in the show. Unless Veal is merely a Marvel superfan, it seems like this Instagram post is confirming his inclusion in the show. But the question remains, who will he be playing?
Low Key Possibilities — The answer is pretty obvious after an examination of the evidence. Loki will follow the eponymous trickster god while he’s under the custody of the TVA (or Time Variance Authority), so needless to say there will be a whole host of time travel shenanigans. Plus, with the multiverse soon to be introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there is literally no temporal limit to the hijinks Loki can get up to.
That could include alternate versions of Loki himself. A previous set leak has prompted speculation about a Lady Loki, and the casting of iconic character actor Richard E. Grant begs the comparison to a possible future Loki. Could Jack Veal complete the set and become Kid Loki?
Kid Loki is a character of his own in the comics, a reborn version of Loki that did not hold any of his memories. He forged his own path as a comic hero, even briefly appearing with the Young Avengers to taunt the older version of himself.
Of course, there’s always the possibility the Kid Loki in Loki won’t be the reborn Kid Loki from the comics, but merely a younger version of Loki found through whatever time travel lands him in the custody of the Time Variance Authority — much like how Billy and Tommy in WandaVision weren’t exactly like Billy and Tommy in the comics
The Inverse Analysis — While Kid Loki wasn’t an enemy in the comics, this possible new Loki could add even more depth to the MCU’s first real Big Bad. With a glimpse of Loki both age- and possibly gender-bent, we could get all sorts of glimpses into every chaotic facet of his character.
With a time travel show, it’s easy to see how an older and younger version of Loki would slot into the plot. Hopefully, we’ll see Loki encounter these alternate versions of himself face-on, because if there’s anything better than Loki messing with those around him, it’s Loki messing with himself.
Loki premieres on Disney+ on June 11, 2021.
