There is little doubt that Loki revolves around Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief although it hints at the bigger story that includes several important characters. But could the Marvel Cinematic Universe series really make its own protagonist also the Big Bad? There was a time when the Disney+ show almost featured Hiddleston as He Who Remains instead of Jonathan Majors!
In the previous season finale, it was ultimately revealed that the Kang Variant known as He Who Remains had been hiding in the Citadel at the End of Time within the Void. This would be the first time that MCU fans saw Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, or at least a Variant who has been trying to prevent a multiversal war, and people loved the intense debut.
It was a great debut for Majors but it almost didn't happen. Executive producer Kevin Wright revealed to Den of Geek that they considered the idea of He Who Remains having a face that everyone already knew.
“In the writers’ room, all ideas are on the table, and there were conversations about what if Loki was He Who Remains,” Wright said. However, he immediately clarified that the idea didn't take flight.
“Those conversations didn’t get very far; I don’t think it even got to Tom because while there is something fun about that, and there are compelling aspects to it, it makes the universe feel small. So, it was always going to be He Who Remains, always a version of Kang,” Wright said.
The idea of He Who Remains actually being a Loki Variant would have been an interesting one that makes sense considering this is a show about Loki. On the other hand, the first season provided an excellent debut for Jonathan Majors and gave MCU fans a taste of what they could expect of a complex character like Kang the Conqueror.
Although we never got to see He Who Remains as a Loki Variant, there is little doubt that we will be seeing more Kang Variants in Loki Season 2. It has already been confirmed that Majors will make an appearance as Victor Timely, a Variant who was first introduced in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The new Variant has not yet appeared in the second season but there is a possibility we will finally meet him soon.
Loki Season 2 Episode 3 has not yet been given an official title but is already set to premiere on Disney+ on October 19, 2023.
