Loki Appreciation 2021

[Yoruno]

Mik, Do you view Loki as a hardcore villain?

[Yoruno]

It is said that what we see in the trailers are just some of multiple takes and not all of them made the final cut. If anyone knows where to watch the alternative take of Loki's reaction in the courtroom, I'd be very grateful. (Someone saw it in the Instagram, but I can't find it).

[CosmiComic]

Mik, Do you view Loki as a hardcore villain?

Hardcore? In the MCU, maybe initially. He's not exactly a nice guy. I don't think he's wholly evil either. While it's possible he could be redeemed, I can't say for sure he will be in the Loki show.

[Raye]

Marvel posted a high quality version of the TV spot:


As for alternate takes, I don't know, but it's not uncommon for unused takes to make it into trailers... hell, Loki himself has had this happen, with the dagger flip from the Ragnarok trailers that never actually appeared in the film. (but still somehow became a classic shot) I do know there is definitely some tricky editing going on, which is also not uncommon, and the latest trailer highlights that. In one of the first trailers they made it seem like Mobius denied Loki a weapon when he asked, but in the TV spot Mobius is jut like 'here you go' and it is that other character, i don't know her character's name, that's like 'absolutely not' and takes the daggers away from him again. In another one, as I mentioned before, Mobius is like 'everywhere you go is death, destruction etc' and Loki's like 'I know?' to make it seem like Loki's just like, completely blase about all the bad things he's done, but Loki is wearing the 'variant' jacket, but Mobius is in the screening room, so Loki should be in the jumpsuit if that actually was from the same scene. They spliced together two completely different conversations both times.

I read Valkyries, and Loki was not in it though he is mentioned some throughout, mainly it is revealed that long ago it was him that chained up that wolf character(s) because the gods feared what he was capable of, so that's why Loki was targeted. But other than that, nothing, though I presume he will be coming back into the story at some point.

[Yoruno]

Thanks, Raye, at first I didn't even realise that Valkyries had that last segment, too, and skipped it. I'm curious to know if this wolf thing is as innocent as it claims to be (I guess not really). And I need more Loki, although I bet he'll show up closer to the end, because that's how they deal with him in the comics now. Ahhh, the way he's drawn here, too youthful and beautiful to be a grandfather

[Yoruno]

Thor #16 cover art shows Loki
DmEoyX5bUikfynmS9cEYsA-1536-80.jpg

[Raye]

Nice! Loki just chillin' as Thor fights Odin heh.

But I think though it does not mention Loki specifically, the solicit itself is interesting as well, given Loki's appearance on the cover, and some of my previous speculation:

THOR #16
DONNY CATES (W) • MICHELE BANDINI (A) • Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
Variant Cover by NIC KLEIN
MARVEL GAMES VARIANT COVER BY NETEASE
Marvel Anime Variant Cover by PEACH MOMOKO
Deadpool 30th Variant Cover by ROB LIEFELD
"REVELATIONS" PART 2 OF 3!
Thor has only known two things, being a warrior and wielding a hammer. But he is realizing that in order to be the best ruler of Asgard that he can be, he must give up those two things. Who is Thor without them? And hostilities between Thor and Odin reach a boiling point as "Revelations" continues to uproot Thor's entire world!

I feel vindicated. I have been saying Thor needs to give up his old role (which may or may not have included the hammer, I don't think the role is necessarily linked to Mjolnir, but it has become symbolic of the role for Thor) for over a year, but they certainly took their sweet time getting there. I mean, I do think Thor had to have things happen in order to drive it through his skull, but still. The other option is that he gives up being king in order to go back to his old role, which he finds familiar and comforting. The main thing is, he can't do both. One character per role. But this solicit does seem to point to him formally giving up his old role. And we saw Loki formally give up his role last issue, so Loki is currently without a role. Other contenders are Beta Ray Bill (but he seems to be going more for the War role) and... maybe one of the Warriors 3? or Angela? (though I would have her more pegged for the War role, as well) But there's not been much indication of that. But Sif has taken on Heimdall's role, Jane is a Valkyrie now, Balder is the Norn King, Blake killed some other ex-Thors, so... with people stepping into other roles, really the choices are pretty slim. Especially if you limit it to characters that have appeared in Cates run and had some teases to that effect, at which point it just becomes Bill and Loki. And i still think my points from before still stand regarding Bill. He doesn't have the necessary connection to Earth/Midgard, and he is very similar to Thor in terms of personality, morals etc. and I think there needs to be some progress and change to move things forward, not just a do-over of what came before.

As for Valkyries, yeah i suspect this wolf isn't as innocent as they say, there are two beings in that body and it may be that one is pretty allright, but the other not so much. In any case, sure Loki will come into things again at some point there.

[Yoruno]

Here's what the Valkyries August solicit says:

A new pantheon emerges from the dusty gates of Hel – one that Queen Karnilla thought she could control. She was wrong…and now all the realms must pay the price. Jane and Rúna fight to save the gods and restore the mortal world!

I might be too hasty in my predictions, but I guess Karnilla made a very wrong choice when she released More. This text could as well mean the new Norns (are they boys this time?), but IDK.
Loki's appearances nowadays almost always follow the same pattern: he makes the lead participate in a story where the said lead either learns something about themselves or tests their powers (and blames Loki even if everything turns out fine). I guess this particular stunt was meant to attract Jane's attention to what happens in Hel. Why is it all so convoluted - because Aaron's Loki would better die than say directly what has to be said.

[Raye]

Yep, sounds like she made an oops there. And I did get the immpression they were new Norns, 3 babies and all, and they went to Karnilla, so.... but it says she thought she could control them, by which i would take to mean she wanted to determine fate. But, well, the Norns control fate, and she is not the Norn Queen anymore, so...

Marvel just posted this (literally just 20 minutes ago)

[Yoruno]

[rpmaluki]

Well, this is new, I haven't seen this before....

[Yoruno]

Yes, it appeared earlier today. It's from Marvel Infinite spot.

[rpmaluki]

Yes, it appeared earlier today. It's from Marvel Infinite spot.

I just saw it on Twitter, thanks. I wonder who's he's talking to and I see some theorising that the dagger is laevateinn and then there gram....aah, Loki and his knives, lol.

[Yoruno]

It should be Laevateinn, because, according to the myth, it was a fire weapon made by Loki (as it was created and not forged it is a product of pure magic akin to a wizard's wand).

[Raye]

ooh, nice!

and it may also be a completely new weapon unique to the show. But it seems to match the short sword he had strapped to his back in one scene in that purple cathedral/castle type deal. And he does seem to have the back scabbard there, too.