Loki: Deleted Plot Gave Loki All 6 Infinity Stones, But In a Fake Timeline
With Loki finally having come to a close, viewers are now left to ponder what's to come for the multiverse and look back on the series' greatest moments.
The decision to add past MCU quotes to Loki's opening logo was actually Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's idea, which certainly made for a spine-tingling surprise.
Many have also wondered whether a certain background character from the series premiere was actually Peggy Carter, but Loki director Kate Herron chose not to confirm either way.
Fans have learned a lot about what could have been for Tom Hiddleston's solo series, such as a scene involving Chris Hemsworth as a frog version of Thor. Other deleted scenes have even been revealed, with Marvel Studios releasing snippets of unused dialogue from Jonathan Majors' He Who Remains in the finale.
Now, another interesting plot idea has been unveiled by Marvel Studios' latest behind-the-scenes special...
LOKI GAINS INFINITY STONES IN SCRAPPED IDEA
In the Marvel Studios: Assembled documentary for Loki, a shot of head writer Michael Waldron in the writers' room can be seen early in the special.
On the whiteboard, a scrapped plot idea can be seen for the series premiere, "Glorious Purpose," with several bullet points outlining a sequence where Loki is placed in an alternate timeline as an interrogation tactic by the Time Variance Authority:
(1 - 5: Mostly Montage)
1. Loki visiting different time periods.
2. Doing crazy mischief aka sex.
3. Pivots to taking power.
4. Collecting Infinity Stones.
5. Has the Gauntlet, takes power...more sex, big alien, etc.
6. Alone in the throne room. He's taken power but is infected with thought that it isn't "real" because of TVA's control over free will.
7. Return to TVA - gauntlets power down. Mobius waiting for him.
8. Loki gives honest answers to Mobius. Mobius shows the sheer power of TVA.
MARVEL BORROWS RICK AND MORTY FORMULA
This provides incredibly interesting insight into the writing process for Marvel Studios productions, particularly how ideas formulate and morph into the final product. While the scene has changed quite significantly, the core central ideas, character throughlines, and general plot points are still the same as in the final episode.
In both versions of the scene, Loki is being shown how he is ultimately powerless to the Time Variance Authority, but the journey to get there is what is different. In the episode, Loki's discovery of the inert Infinity Stones is what causes him to realize that the TVA's power extends what he perceives to be the most powerful objects in the universe.
In the original idea, the TVA's influence over free will is what ultimately causes Loki to give up, with his power fantasy in the alternate timeline simply showing how he eventually becomes worn down despite receiving everything that he thinks he wanted.
Remnants of this idea still remain in the episode such as the usage of the Infinity Stones themselves, showing how Waldron and the other writers have reworked elements to better fit the final product. The idea of putting Loki in an alternate timeline also somewhat resembles when the God of Mischief is put in the time loop with Sif, which may suggest how the Loki writers' ideas influenced others that came later on.
It is also notable how much raunchier this original scene would have been, which may have played a factor in it being reworked. The Disney+ shows have gotten away with a bit more than their movie counterparts, but they may not be able to get into more adult themes just yet.
Another interesting tidbit is the usage of the story circle ideology coined by Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon, a show which Michael Waldron previously worked on. The story circle is a storytelling technique that allows writers to telegraph a character's thematic journey and points of conflict in a story. It seems that this played a part in Loki's development, too, ensuring that the series' episodes included satisfying narrative arcs for its characters.
Loki's installment of Marvel Studios: Assembled is streaming now on Disney+.
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