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Fans are still mourning the last of Loki inAvengers : Infinity War , but is there reason to desire for his homecoming inThor 4 ? After all , Loki used his last words to prompt Thanos that the villain would never be like him or Thor - atruegod , for whom the normal laws of destruction do n’t apply .
So even if Chris Hemsworth and Taika Waititi have yet to decide where thenextThormovie will head afterThe Avengers 4 , it is n’t guaranteed Loki won’t– orcan’tbe a part of it . And looking at the current state of Thor ’s humans afterRagnarokandInfinity War , the opportunity is there to make Loki a more powerful figure in the MCU than ever before .
To be clear , this is only our theory on the unadulterated means Marvel could return Loki to the MCU without diminishing his death , or " undoing " it in any way . Loki could finally claim his very own throne , too . Just … not in the land of the living .
First Things First: Yes, Loki Actually Died
There are good deal of theory to select from that have already been created and debated online : thatareflectionof Loki is what actually died , or even that he outlast the confrontation with Thanos bypretending to be Bruce Banner(hence no Hulk ) . For our purpose , however , we are taking the movie maker ofInfinity Warat their word .
That may endeavor to be inexpedient , considering the sequel is expected toreverse most of theInfinity Wardeaths . But for all purport and design , we ’re assuming Thanos really did choke the life out of Loki . The in force intelligence is that the Jehovah ofThor 4don’t actually have to undo , reversal , or retcon the expiry view to keep Loki ’s story from being completely finished . Because as every Norse mythology fan ( Marvel or otherwise ) knows that for gods like Thor and Loki , dying is just the beginning ofanotherstage in their life story .
Loki (Probably) Earned His Place in Valhalla
The evenbetternews for Loki is that his afterlife may be more glorious than if he had died during … well , any former film . What makes Loki ’s destruction inInfinity Warso tragic is that it descend after he seemingly embraces his brother , his adopted citizenry , and his better self . InThor : Ragnarokhe opt valorousness over selfishness … and that alone may have earn him a place in Valhalla .
We ’ll dive into the different localisation that exist beyond life for Thor , Loki , Odin , and the rest of the Asgardians later . But for now , we ’ll direct to the poem Thor utters for his father inRagnarok : wish him eternal life in Valhalla while those he leaves behind will not"mourn but rejoice , for those that have died the brilliant death . “Loki may not have died in splendid combat defending Asgard , but he was willing to , as evidenced before his death , exalt himself a"prince of Asgard … Odin ’s Word . "
His message to Thor , that"the sun will glow on us again"may have been foreshadowing Valhalla , but it is n’t just a happy ending he take in . Because if Lokididtravel to Valhalla , Thor may have a real chance to resurrect his people . And Loki may lastly get the top he ’s been after for years .
Page 2 of 2:How Loki Can Finally Become King (of The Dead)
To Save His People, Thor Must Descend into Hel
Since Norse conception of the afterlife are n’t as clear - cut as you might think , Marvel would have a lot of flexibleness when it comes to Thor , Loki , and the Asgardians on their traveling into the underworld . InThor : The Dark World , the soul of Frigga go up into the stars as gold stardust , just as Odin ’s does inRagnarok . Not the routine Asgardian guards … or Heimdall , or Loki , or any others . Whether intended or not , Marvel films have shown that there are dissimilar rules for different hoi polloi when it comes to death among the " deity - like . "
The only substantial harmonize - upon mythology in the strip is that the nifty of Asgardian warrior have their soul carry to the heavenly halls of Valhalla . The rest travel to Hel , which is n’t in reality as bad as it vocalize . And up until recently in the strip , those souls even had their own monarch to protect them . A " Lord of Corpses " - or a King of the Dead , if that sounds a bit serious .
His name isBalder the Brave , and he is Thor and Loki ’s brother . consider it or not , introducing him into the MCU is gentle than it sounds . And if Thor is search to reclaim the mortal unjustly struck down by Thanos exert the Power Infinity Stone , it ’s Balder who he needs to go see .
Based on the flick , there may even be signs that Balder is already keeping sentinel as the King of Hel . The grownup one being … well , that the dead are n’t running amuck across the Nine Realms . Clearlysomebodyis handling that unsung task , because audience sleep with that the goddess who had the job in the comedian was most decidedly not .
That ’s right , ruling over the dead as their Queen was in the first place Hela ’s duty , though she is n’t quite the same as the version fan saw inThor : Ragnarok . In the MCU , Hela ’s ambitions for take lives became too much for Odin , who banish her to an unknown prison for millennia . Which begs the question : who was ruling Hel all that clock time ?
In the comics it was Balder who accepted the crown and the additional office when Hela vacated it , and we ’ve already explained why Marvel would be impudent toadapt that comic story for Thor 4 . But even if the flick does n’t let in the rest of the mirthful book story -Thor visiting Valhalla , followed by a brotherly reunion of Thor , Balder , Tyr , and Loki - then the question would stay on .
If Hela has abandoned her post of keeping spotter over the idle , then somebody needs to take it . And thanks to Thanos , a lawful king has recently entered the kingdom of the dead .
Will Loki Become The New King of Hel?
What would make this wind so rewarding is that , in most people ’s estimate , forget Valhalla behind to rule the frigid expanse of Hel would be a stepdown . So if fans wanted Loki to stay a hoagy , and not swindle his way into another throne with a villainous smirk , this crown would in reality fit the measure . Across the dining table , it ’s a win - winnings .
Loki eventually gets the throne he was born to inherit . But as his fictional character has germinate , so too has his reasoning . He now takes a crapper not of nimbus , wealth , or pride - but one of religious service , penance , and duty . If Balder is a part of the story , then all the secure : Loki can take his billet and return him to spirit , as well , as a means of correct the wrong of down him in the first space ( … it was a tenacious fourth dimension ago ) .
Where would theThormovies , or Thor himself go from there ? Who knows . But at least it wouldallow Taika Waititi to make theThor : Ragnarok 2he may have wanted to , before Marvel turned his bright ending into a mass slaughter . All that , AND a newfangled buddy for Thor ? lover should be so lucky .
MORE:Should Valkyrie Take Over The Thor Franchise?
