Spoiler Warning for Disney+'s Loki
Phase 1 of the MCU did a great job introducing some iconic heroes, but the villains weren't as successful. Thankfully, Loki was around to add some much-needed menace to the franchise, including serving as the Big Bad in The Avengers.
Unlike other MCU villains, Loki kept returning for more adventures due to his popularity, until he was finally killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. But the character's long journey through these movies allowed for an entertaining and compelling arc. Loki changed so much from the early days of the MCU and still remains one of the franchise's most beloved characters.
Updated on July 29th, 2021 by Colin McCormick: While Loki's time in the MCU looked to have ended in Avengers: Infinity War, the Disney+ series Loki proves there is still a lot more to do with the God of Mischief. The show took the character in some interesting new directions and went in-depth into his nature more than any previous MCU project. Needless to say, he's gone through quite a lot more change in the meantime, making him a very different character than the one introduced in Phase 1.
He's Not Longer The Intimidating Villain
To have one villain take on all the Avengers is daunting, but Loki proved to be up to the task. He was a genuinely scary villain in the first Avengers film as he seemed capable of all kinds of evil deeds in his quest for power.
By the end of Phase 3, there was nothing to fear in Loki. He didn't seem to be as threatening anymore and the movies made him funnier. Of course, then came Thanos, who really made Loki look timid in comparison. With Loki, he has not only shifted away from being a villain, but Loki is also a hero at times.
He's Been Humbled
While Loki always lived in Thor's shadow in of strength, he liked to think of himself as an all-powerful being. In The Avengers, he gave arrogant speeches to humans about how they were beneath him and born to be subjugated.
Through some hard lessons, Loki has come to realize he is not the most powerful being by a long shot. This is best seen when Loki is easily murdered by Thanos. But more interestingly, in Loki, when he sees the extent of the TVA, he realizes how out of his league he really is.
He's Not A Conqueror
After getting booted from Asgard, Loki sets his sights on Earth for the world that he will conquer. He brings a formidable army, but the plan always seemed a bit far-fetched and unlikely to succeed. It appears that Loki learned quite a bit from this defeat.
Perhaps he finally accepted that he was not the conquering type. While he still wanted power, he no longer tried to take it by force but rather used his skills of mischief and deception to get what he wanted.
He's Not As Angry
In the first Thor film, Loki learns that he is not a true son of Odin and is in fact a discarded Frost Giant orphan. This revelation fills him with a rage that carries him forward for several movies. He first tries to take revenge on the Frost Giants, then seeks to conquer Earth.
By Thor: Ragnarok, much of that anger seemed to have faded away. While he is not quite a happy-go-lucky guy, he is much less angsty. He even jokes around a lot and acts silly. It seems like the years took some of those hard edges off.
He Became More Vulnerable
Loki has always been a vulnerable villain which is part of the reason he was so likable. But he used to hide that vulnerability as best he could. He seemed to always be putting on an act to mask his insecurity. But as time went on, those insecurities came through.
Those emotional wounds became harder for Loki to hide. In Thor: Ragnarok, Loki is shown to be hurt by how Thor and others see him. In Loki, when faced with his entire life of mistakes and his own death, he shows real emotion in a way he rarely has before.
His Tricks Don't Work As Well
Loki was never the most physically impressive villain in the MCU. His brother Thor could easily beat him in a fight, but Loki was so powerful because of his cunning. He was able to trick people and manipulate them better than anyone else, like faking his own death or willingly getting captured by the Avengers.
Eventually, those skills seemed to get a bit rusty. He was no longer the smartest person in the room and his tricks were getting predictable. Even Thor stopped falling for them, and he is not always the brightest god around. By the time he meets the TVA in Loki, everyone knows Loki's tricks and can see them coming a mile away.
He's No Longer Murderous
There was a time when Loki would not hesitate to kill to get what he wanted. He sent the Destroyer to Earth to wreak havoc and kill Thor; he attempted to wipe out all of the Frost Giants; he was responsible for many deaths during his invasion of New York, and he even killed Coulson.
By the end of Phase 3, it's hard to imagine Loki taking lives so ruthlessly. It seems like that dark part of him is gone and he is a much gentler character as a result. To see Loki kill someone now in cold blood would be quite shocking.
He Cares For Others
While it could be argued that Loki loved his brother all along, in Phase 1, he did try to murder Thor on a number of occasions. And since Thor was the only one looking out for Loki, it seemed like he was incapable of caring for anyone.
By the end of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor, and Loki have truly become brothers again. In Loki, he finds new types of relationships. Despite rocky beginnings, he eventually develops a friendship with Mobius and a romantic love with Sylvie which once seemed impossible for Loki.
He Looks Out For Others
Though he had some notions about impressing Odin before, it's clear that pretty much everything that Loki does is to benefit himself. Even as he s Thor on a mission to avenge their mother, he takes the opportunity to fake his death and take the throne.
Even in Thor: Ragnarok, those habits seem to die hard as Loki is willing to sell Thor out. However, in Avengers: Infinity War, Loki gives up the Tesseract to save Thor, then gives his life in an effort to kill Thanos. In Loki, he genuinely cares about Sylvie and Mobius, showing genuine emotion when they are in danger.
He Can Actually Be Good
In Phase 1 of the MCU, there was no doubt Loki was the villain. While he was charming and maybe a little sympathetic at times, he was clearly the bad guy. But that line between good and bad started to get blurrier over time.
After doing some things that could be considered good, Loki showed that his villainous ways were truly behind him when he showed up on Asgard to save the day. Though he's a bit cocky about it, it seems to be the moment Loki finally decided he wasn't the villain he pretended to be.
