The Loki TV series did much of the heavy lifting when it came to setting up Marvel Studios' plans for the Multiverse Saga. As well as giving the Multiverse an origin, it established Kang the Conqueror as a terrifying new threat capable of destroying everything.
Jonathan Majors' firing forced the studio to pivot, and Kang has been swapped out for Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. It remains to be seen how that will be explained or whether the change diminishes Loki's sacrifice as the "battery" now powering every timeline in the Multiverse.
Talking to Josh Horowitz, Tom Hiddleston was asked whether he always knew that the plan was for Loki to return in Avengers: Doomsday (you'll recall that he repeatedly suggested season 2 might be his MCU farewell while promoting the show).
"I didn't know that, so I was sincere in my conviction that I thought it was the end [Laughs]. I wasn't lying to you, I promise," the actor confirmed. "I didn't know then what the plan was. I'm trying to think how long I've known...it's very exciting."
Hiddleston was pushed on whether he's happy with what's in store for Loki as the villain-turned-hero's journey continues, and after a pause, replied, "[Laughs] Yes. I do know some things. It’s an extraordinary privilege to still be on the team, and there are more stories to tell. I feel like the character has grown as I’ve grown. It’s genuinely an honour to still be in the squad."
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars underwent full rewrites, so we won't simply see Doctor Doom take Kang's place. Whereas Kang likely wanted a Multiversal War, Victor will probably be looking to "save" the Multiverse by creating Battleworld...which he'll rule over, of course.
Discussing the Iron Man star's return as Doom, Hiddleston said, "It is remarkable. Absolutely extraordinary. I didn't know that until the rest of the world knew that. That was something completely under wraps until it wasn't. I texted Kevin Feige with exclamation marks and then thought I'd better qualify that. I said, 'RDJ?!'"
"Robert is synonymous with the MCU. He's at the centre of it," he continued. "It must be very thrilling to come back and play with some different colours."
The biggest disappointment for fans will be if Avengers: Doomsday kills Loki, simply to establish what a powerful threat Doom is. A far better option might be for the God of Mischief to take on the role Molecule Man played in Jonathan Hickman's Secret Wars comic book series.
You can hear more from Hiddleston in the player below.
Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman all make the Avengers franchise debuts in the movie.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
The Russo Brothers direct the movie from a script by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Captain America and Avengers franchises.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars scheduled to arrive on December 17, 2027.