Theory: Owen Wilson’s Loki character is a time cowboy, and the key to Phase 4

Filming is underway for Loki, and our first look at the upcoming Disney+ series during the Super Bowl teased the trickster god’s run-in with the Time Variance Authority, which is tasked with preventing changes to the multiverse and its timelines. With that in mind, an intriguing new theory suggests Owen Wilson’s mystery role is connected to the TVA and his Loki character could help set up multiple projects in Marvel’s Phase Four.

Reddit user HerewardTheWoke predicts Wilson will play Two-Gun Kid, a heroic cowboy from the Old West who's arguably one of the Time Variance Authority’s most notable prisoners. Since it seems that Loki will be caught by the TVA at some point during the series, there’s a chance he might cross paths with Wilson’s character while in jail. Perhaps Loki will recruit Two-Gun Kid’s assistance to break free of the TVA’s clutches.

In the comics, Two-Gun Kid is the moniker of two characters, Clay Harder and Matt Hawk. The Two-Gun Kid comic series ran in two parts before being folded into the larger Marvel universe. Of the two characters, Matt Hawk had had a longer comic run and his costume was ultimately changed to resemble that of a more traditional superhero. Naturally, that included wearing a mask to obscure his identity while fighting crime.

Hailing from the Wild West, Matt Hawk was originally a Boston lawyer who took up the name Two-Gun Kid to bring justice in a lawless place. At one point, the character time travels to the present day, briefly joining the Avengers before returning to his own time.

An earlier Loki theory posited Wilson's character would be Justice Peace, a member of the Time Variance Authority and not an outlaw. It's a fun idea, but Two-Gun Kid sounds like the perfect role for Wilson, as the actor is no stranger to playing a cowboy, having done so in Night at the Museum and Shanghai Noon. Even his character in The Royal Tennenbaums, Eli Cash, writes speculative Western fiction and rocks a white Stetson hat.

Two-Gun Kid’s eventual imprisonment by the Time Variance Authority could set up future Phase Four projects like She-Hulk, given that the characters share a history. Two-Gun Kid attempted to become a lawyer at She-Hulk’s firm before opting to become a bounty hunter instead. In She-Hulk Vol. 3: Time Trials, She-Hulk is put on trial by the TVA for interfering with the timeline.

After She-Hulk helped to save the multiverse, the TVA opted to let her go and allowed her to take custody of Two-Gun Kid, who had been jailed for time traveling. While the She-Hulk series doesn’t have a scheduled release date just yet, it’s possible that Two-Gun Kid’s introduction in Loki might lead right into the next batch of Disney+ series. Only time will tell.

Loki will be available to stream on Disney+ in the spring of 2021.