Summary
Lokihas been a central character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe throughout Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4, and 10 scenes define his franchise story. Since his debut in 2011’sThor,Tom Hiddleston has made the role of the God of Mischief his own, complete with a fantastic story arc and several of theMCU’s most iconic Loki quotes. Beginning as a primary villain of Thor and The Avengers, Loki’s character arc, which culminated inLokiseason 2’s ending, saw him become one of the franchise’s greatest heroes.
WhileLokiseason 3’s storyis disappointingly unlikely, not many can deny that his ending was a brilliant culmination of two distinct character arcs surrounding the God of Mischief. Not only did Hiddleston get to portray Loki’s redemption arc betweenThorandAvengers: Infinity War,butAvengers: Endgameopened the door to the multiverse and an alternate version of the character. Over this two-character journey that is sadly unlikely to continue inupcoming MCU movies, a handful of scenes stand out as the moments that define Loki’s entire Marvel Cinematic Universe tenure.
Loki’s Complete MCU Timeline Explained
Tom Hiddleston’s MCU journey as Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief, has taken him from Avengers villain to bona fide hero in the Multiverse Saga.
10Loki Learning The Truth Of His Heritage
Thor (2011)
The first arc of Loki’s in the MCU was his descent from the prince of Asgard to the villain of The Avengers. Undoubtedly, the most defining scene of this arc came in Loki’s debut film, 2011’sThor.After an excursion to Jotunheim, the realm of the Frost Giants, Loki begins to question whether he is actually Odin’s son after witnessing his hand turn blue when touched by a Frost Giant.
Upon returning to Asgard, Loki touches the Casket of Ancient Winters in Odin’s vault and transforms into a Frost Giant himself. Odin appears and tells Loki that he is not the biological son of the king of Asgard and Frigga, but instead the son of Laufey, leader of Jotunheim. Odin once found Loki abandoned and decided to raise him as his own. Naturally, this news angers, saddens, and traumatizes Loki, who begins his descent into villainy by attempting to claim Asgard and wage war on the otherrealms of the MCU, notably Jotunheim.
Thor
Cast
Thor, released in 2011, introduces Chris Hemsworth as the titular Norse god. Banished to Earth by his father Odin, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, Thor must live among humans and learn humility. As he adapts to his new circumstances, a threat from Asgard, led by his brother Loki, endangers Earth.
9Loki Losing Asgard & Joining The Service Of Thanos
The Avengers (2012)
After becoming interim king of Asgard when Odin falls ill, Loki’s grasp for power is thwarted by Thor. This leads to the events of 2012’sThe Avengers, where Loki is shown traveling to Earth and stealing the Tesseract. It is revealed that Loki was tasked to do so by Thanos, the Mad Titan, in an attempt to gather the Infinity Stone. Loki was granted control of the Chitauri army, and attempted to take Earth both to reclaim his power lost on Asgard and to taunt his brother Thor, who became fond of the planet and its people.
The Other was killed in Guardians of the Galaxy by Ronan the Accuser, another of Thanos' acolytes who was tasked with retrieving an Infinity Stone.
The scene in which Loki converses with the Other, Thanos' servant, is one that defines this section of Loki’s journey. Without Thanos, Loki would not have had the facilities to wage war on Earth. Thanos and the Other granted Loki the Chitauri in return for the Tesseract, which propelled Loki to become the primary villain ofThe Avengersand Phase 1 of the MCU.
8Loki Being Defeated By The Avengers & Being Imprisoned By Odin
Despite almost succeeding in taking Earth, Loki was defeated by the newly-formed Avengers. At the end ofThe Avengers- one of thebest-ranked MCU movies- Loki is subdued by the Hulk while the other Avengers destroy the Chitauri army. Afterward, the six Avengers appear before Loki and arrest him, prompting Thor to take his brother back to Asgard to face justice. This scene is another defining moment in Loki’s MCU journey, as his return to Asgard essentially kickstarts his redemption arc.
Loki returns to Asgard and is forced to face the consequences of his actions. Not only does he have to face Thor, but his mother and father as well. Without the ending scene inThe Avengers, Loki would not have returned to Asgard. However, given that the Avengers captured Loki and the movie showcased his apprehension at the hands of Thor, Loki’s journey evolved into the next stage that continued in 2013’sThor: The Dark World.
7Loki Finding Out Frigga Was Dead
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
As alluded to, Loki’s return to Asgard inThe Avengerswas crucial to his redemption arc. InThor: The Dark World, another scene provides a defining moment for Loki transitioning into the hero he eventually becomes. Early in the movie, Loki and Thor’s mother is killed by dark elves. Thor enlists Loki’s aid, only after the latter breaks an illusion of indifference and reveals his true feelings about Frigga’s murder.
How Powerful Loki’s Magic Is Compared To Frigga
Loki has confirmed the trickster god learnt his magic from his mother Frigga - but how do their mystical power levels compare in the MCU?
Not only is this scene important in allowing Loki to team up with Thor, but it is one of the few scenes that truly showcases Loki’s goodness. Positioned as a villain in his prior two movies, Loki’s breakdown at Frigga’s death makes him a much more sympathetic character. This makes his alliance with Thor inThe Dark Worldeven better, as the hints at heroic Loki are offered, hinging on the defining scene of his emotional trauma over Frigga’s passing.
Thor: The Dark World
Thor: The Dark World, the second installment in Marvel’s Thor series, follows the titular hero as he faces Malekith and the vengeful Dark Elves. With the universe threatened, Thor joins forces with allies, including Jane Foster, to thwart the cosmic peril and restore balance to the realms.
6Loki Faking His Death & Ruling Asgard
The final scene ofThor: The Dark Worldis another that defines Loki’s MCU journey. Earlier in the film, Loki seemingly died during a fight with the dark elves, leading Thor to mourn for his brother. However, the ending ofThor: The Dark Worldreveals Loki’s survival, with the God of Mischief masquerading as King Odin, thus ruling Asgard.
At the time of the movie’s release, this scene defined Loki’s story as many thought he would once more turn to villainy. That said,Thor: Ragnarokconfirmed that this pivotal scene inThor: The Dark Worldcontinued Loki’s redemption. While he ruled Asgard and dethroned Odin, he did not kill the latter nor rule in a way that made him particularly evil. Similarly, Loki’s relationship with Thor changed from antagonistic to brotherly rivalry, provingThor: The Dark World’s final scene to be defining in a way many did not expect.
5Loki Teaming Up With Thor To Defeat Hela
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
After Loki took control of Asgard,Thor: Ragnarokdetailed how Thor uncovered his plot. The two argue for a while, before eventually teaming up to defeat Hela. After being stranded on Sakaar, Loki and Thor return to Asgard to unseat Hela and control Asgard once more. Given Loki’s past,Thor: Ragnarokflirts with the idea of him continuing his villainous ways before one defining scene solidifies his redemption arc that began at the end ofThe Avengers.
Loki’s MCU betrayals and tricksbecome a thing of the past inThor: Ragnarokas Loki arrives with warriors from Sakaar to save the people of Asgard. While Thor fights Hela, Loki and his allies defeat her army and smuggle Asgard’s civilians onboard a ship. Afterward, Loki uses the helm of Surtur to awaken the monster and destroy Asgard, defeating Hela for good. From this point onwards, Loki’s transition to an MCU hero is complete, proving how defining his initial defiance of Hela is to his Marvel journey.
Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarokis the third Thor solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first directed by Taika Waititi. In the sequel, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself stranded on Sakaar, ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Soon he teams with Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to return to Asgard and defeat his sister Hela.
4Loki Stealing The Tesseract
Ironically, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment fromThor: Ragnarokis perhaps the single most defining moment in the journey of Loki in the primary MCU. In the third act ofThor: Ragnarokwhen Loki is searching for Surtur’s helm, he comes across the Tesseract. Loki double-takes when passing the Tesseract before the film cuts to the battle raging outside the walls of Asgard’s palace.
Only inAvengers: Infinity Warwas it revealed that Loki stole the Tesseract in this moment fromThor: Ragnarok. Stealing the Tesseract proved to have a massive consequence on Loki’s MCU story, all while showcasing that some of Loki’s former power-hungry traits remained after his heroic turn. InAvengers: Infinity War, the result of Loki’s actions catch up with him, proving the scene fromRagnarokto be a defining moment in Loki’s journey in the most tragic of ways.
3Loki’s Death At The Hands Of Thanos
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The opening scene ofAvengers: Infinity Warnot only solidifies Loki stealing the Tesseract as a defining moment inThor: Ragnarok, but ultimately provides another regarding Loki’s journey. Teased inThe Avengers, the Mad Titan Thanos desired the Infinity Stones in the universe in order to impose his will over the galaxy. One such Infinity Stone is the Tesseract, which Loki possessed afterThor: Ragnarok.
At the beginning ofAvengers: Infinity War, it was revealed that Thanos tracked down Loki, Thor, and the fleeing Asgardians so that he could obtain the Tesseract for himself. After murdering 50% of the Asgardians on the ship, Thanos incapacitated Thor and tortured him so that Loki would reveal the Tesseract. Thanos takes the cube and unearths the Infinity Stone from within, prompting Loki to try and kill the Titan. However, Thanos foresaw this and killed Loki, ending his prime MCU journey in a defining scene.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War brings together the Avengers and their allies to face a new threat from the cosmos, Thanos, who seeks to collect the Infinity Stones. The film, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unites numerous superhero characters in a battle to prevent Thanos' ambition of altering reality itself.
2Alternate Loki Stealing The Tesseract & Joining The TVA
Loki Season 1 (2021)
WhileAvengers: Infinity Warmarked the end for Loki,Avengers: Endgamegave him a new beginning thanks to the multiverse. As the Avengers traveled back in time, Loki from 2012 stole the Tesseract and fled New York. Creating a nexus event, Loki was apprehended by the TVA, the Time Variance Authority. Stealing the Tesseract was a major defining moment in giving Loki a second lease of life, despite being a different version from the prime MCU character.
The TVA is set to appear in the upcoming MCU film,Deadpool & Wolverine.
Stealing the Tesseract then led Loki to the TVA, which he swiftly joined. After seeing clips of prime MCU Loki’s life, the underlying goodness of 2012 Loki was unearthed. This was yet another defining moment in the new timeline, as evil Loki transitioned once more into good Loki and dedicated himself to protecting the Sacred Timeline and traveling the multiverse.
Loki
Loki is a series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the alternate version of the titular character, Loki, after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Taken by the Time Variance Authority, he must confront his identity and choices while aiding in fixing the disrupted timeline to avert a greater threat.
1Alternate Loki Becoming God Loki At The End Of Time
Loki Season 2 (2023)
The defining moment that saw Loki join the TVA led to his myraid adventures throughoutLokiseason 1 and season 2. As of the ending ofLokiseason 2, the biggest defining moment this side of the original Loki’s death inInfinity Wartakes place. After failing to save the TVA from complete collapse, Loki realizes that he must take accountability and save the multiverse himself. Loki breaks open the multiverse and, rather than let them die out, Loki uses his power to give every branching timeline life.
Loki grasps every single thread of the multiverse in his hands, keeping every single one alive. By the end of the sequence,Loki crafts a multiversal Yggdrasil treewith him at its center. At the End of Time, Loki remains in solitude holding the multiverse together figuratively and literally. Not only was this an emotional end toLokiseason 2 and his second character arc, but it intrinsically links the God of Mischief to every single MCU story in history by retroactively making him the person responsible for the entire multiverse’s existence.
