Loki theory brings back a surprising Avenger
Who needs the moon when we have time travel? Captain America's next stop could be Disney+'s 'Loki.' Here's why.
Steve Rogers is on the moon. At least, that’s what the world thinks, according to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But another Disney+ series has other ideas about what happened to Captain America after he left our heroes behind in Avengers: Endgame — and it’s a theory so crazy, it just might be true.
The Theory — At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Rogers volunteers to bring the Infinity Stones back to the moments in time right before they were taken in the heist. He then disappears forever, only to return as an old man, having lived a mysterious life we know basically nothing about, except that it involved a happily ever after with Peggy Carter.
Will we ever find out what happened while Rogers was tripping through time? This Reddit theory from u/heatehn_yogi suggests we will. According to the theory, we will see Steve again in Loki, the June-debuting Disney+ series all about the God of Mischief’s own escapades through time.
The theory goes that Steve won’t be able to completely carry through with his mission to return the various Infinity Stones, such as injecting Jane Foster with the reality stone. If that happens, it could create a butterfly effect requiring Loki’s deft touch. If Loki and the Time Variance Authority get a knock on their door, they may be the ones who go and pay Steve a visit, delivering a Captain America cameo in a place we’re not so likely to expect it.
Loki and Cap have done this dance before.
Cap Gets Loki’d — It sounds pretty ridiculous on paper. Of all the places for Cap to turn up next, is Loki really the likely pick? Maybe not the likeliest, but there are reasons to think it could happen.
First of all, there’s a connection here worth considering. Back in the maligned Thor: The Dark World, one of the consensus best parts of the movie involves Loki shape-shifting into Captain America for a minute, as a way of getting under Thor’s skin. Captain America is very fresh on that version of Loki’s mind — and that version of Loki is pretty close to the “variant” Loki starring in the upcoming series. Maybe Loki himself will once again shape-shift and try to take on Cap’s role replacing the stones.
More practically, Evans was clearly willing to do a quick pop-in as it relates to Hiddleston, and it’s not the only time the two have been jokey with one another.
Years ago, Hiddleston starred in an MTV After Hours comedy short called “Loki’d: Tom Hiddleston Plays the Worst Pranks.” The video inspired Hiddleston’s fans to latch onto countless phrases, including that title phrase, “Loki’d.” The best part of “Loki’d” takes place at the end when Hiddleston pretends to be a guy named “Steve,” even though it’s clearly just Hiddleston with a fake mustache. In playing Steve, Hiddleston is doing a Chris Evans impression. The most “Loki’d” thing that Disney+’s Loki could do for the Hiddleston fandom is give them an on-screen “Steve” reunion, and tie up some Endgame loose ends in the process.
The Inverse Analysis — We have been burned before, expecting too much star-power as we move into the Disney+ era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Evans has said he’s done with Captain America, despite rumors of his impending return to the MCU. A full-on role in Loki sounds like more than he’s willing to take on at the moment, even if perhaps he’s ready for a comeback a few years down the line.
But is a quick cameo in Loki out of the question? The back-story between Hiddleston and Evans absolutely invites it, and what’s more, the Avengers: Endgame story does as well. We don’t “need” to see what happened to Steve when he traveled through time. But do we “want” to see it? Yes. Desperately.
Marvel’s upcoming What If? series feels like a great venue to show off Steve’s journey through time, as it would be easy enough for Evans to step in and provide some voice work. But if there’s another place where it makes sense to see things like Steve versus the Red Skull, it would be Loki, as the Trickster God goes off on his own mission trying to “repair” the time stream.
For now, don’t count on anything — but if Steve Rogers does land in Loki, don’t say you weren’t warned.
Loki is streaming June 11 on Disney+.
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