Loki Finally Confirmed For 'Avengers: Infinity War' In D23 Footage—And Thanos Will Be Pleased

Marvel fans were left thrilled this weekend at the D23 Expo 2017 in Anaheim, getting an inside look at Avengers: Infinity War. The film promises action on a scale Marvel has never delivered before; one scene showed the assembled heroes confronting Thanos himself, who reached out an arm and called forth flaming comets from the heavens.

Along with the action, the sheer scope of the cast is hard to fathom. Marvel visionary Kevin Feige promised that Infinity War and Avengers 4 would feature "every single hero" who's ever been in a Marvel film, but fans will be particularly thrilled that we finally have confirmation one specific character will live to see Infinity War. A character who has most definitely not been on the hero side of things: Loki.

Here's What Happened

The video isn't yet online, but by all accounts it featured one glorious moment in which Loki stepped forward to present Thanos with a gift. Back in The Avengers, Thanos sent Loki to Earth for a specific purpose: to locate the Tesseract. Now, at last, Loki's purpose will be fulfilled and he will finally give Thanos an Infinity Stone.

It's a moment that's sure to leave fans thrilled. While Loki was originally slated to play a major role in Infinity War back before Joss Whedon left #Marvel Studios, the film has since changed shape quite a bit under the Russo brothers. Back in March, Hiddleston indicated he wasn't even sure he was in Infinity War after all, commenting:

"I don’t know! Honestly, I don’t know. They haven’t got their ducks in a row yet. They make it up as they go along.”

Now we know. Loki will indeed appear in #InfinityWar, and his story will circle back to the one begun in 2012. He owes Thanos an Infinity Stone, and the Mad Titan has come to collect.

What Kind Of Role Will Loki Play?

What will bring Loki to this point?

Thor: The Dark World ended with Loki mysteriously taking the throne of Asgard having glamoured himself to look like Odin, but his reign looks set to be short-lived. The first trailer for Thor: Ragnarok saw Asgard consumed by fire, courtesy of Hela. With Thor, Loki, and the Hulk forced on a quest to find Odin himself, we can assume #Loki's rule comes to a swift end. Frankly, given that the film's title evokes imagery of the 'Twilight of the Gods' in Norse mythology, it's entirely possible that Ragnarok ends with Asgard destroyed, and the citizens of Asgard trapped in Hel (as teased by Thor's vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron).

Whatever Loki's role may be in Thor: Ragnarok, one thing's for sure: With Asgard believing him to be Odin, he has had access to Asgard's vaults. That means he's had plenty of time to retrieve the Tesseract, perhaps even setting it aside should the need arise for him to return to Thanos.

But can Thanos really trust Loki? Tom Hiddleston's character is one of the most beloved villains in the #MCU, but I doubt he'd be particularly interested in Thanos's pet obsession of "rebalancing the universe." Loki is, if nothing else, an opportunistic survivor. If wiping out the universe were bad for him and his business, you can bet that he'd turn on Thanos without batting an eye. This could very easily be one of Loki's tricks, an attempt to persuade #Thanos to trust him, in order to get close enough to strike.

The fact we've not seen any hint of Loki in set photos to date hints that he may not have a major role in Infinity War. That said, it's worth remembering that Infinity War is only the start of this story; it leads on, in some unknown way, to Avengers 4. With Loki's presence now revealed, it's going to be interesting to see if we catch any more glimpses of #TomHiddleston's much-loved character in action.

(Source: ComingSoon.net)