One of the most tragic moments in the MCU is that Thor still thinks that Loki died in front of him in 2018. Thor was forced to believe that Loki was dead forever after ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. But there is a devastating twist: a Loki variant from an alternate timeline is still alive, and he has become the protector of the entire multiverse.
Thor Lost His Loki, and He Still Has No Idea What Happened
This is not the same Loki that Thor knew and lost. The 2012 variant of Loki is the one who survived the Avengers’ time heist and escaped with the Tesseract in ‘Avengers: Endgame’. His path in the Disney+ series ‘Loki’ was a whole other one. Now, he has become a hero his brother may never have the opportunity to meet.
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The brothers’ relationship had just started to heal before Loki died in ‘Infinity War’. They had been rivals, betrayers, and had had a lot of family drama over the years. However, they were finally back on the same side in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, where Loki assisted Thor in saving the Asgardians.
That fragile reconciliation ended when Thanos killed Loki aboard the Statesman. Thor watched helplessly as his brother died, and no amount of strength could change what had happened. Thor’s sadness was always evident. He was depressed and felt guilt for losing his parents, his home, his people, and Loki.
The key point is that the Loki that died in 2018 was not brought back to life by the events of the ‘Loki’ series. The surviving variant branched off from the timeline in 2012, before the brothers experienced the later events that shaped their relationship.
The Loki Variant Became A Hero Thor Would Be Proud Of
In two seasons of ‘Loki’, this other version faced his selfishness, found significant friendships, and learned to be responsible. His bond with Sylvie and Mobius taught him that sometimes a hero is one who puts others before himself.
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In the Season 2 finale, he gave up his opportunity for a normal life to preserve the branching timelines, and now finds himself in the middle of a living multiverse. This Loki now stands alone, keeping many realities in place for others to live freely, even Thor and his daughter Love.
And that’s what makes this story so heartbreaking: Thor’s Loki died believing he had failed his brother, while another Loki became the hero he might always have been capable of becoming. Thor doesn’t know this variant exists, and the MCU has yet to bring the two brothers together again.
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