Loki Easter Egg Introduces The MCU’s First Thor Variant

In an episode filled with Loki variants, Marvel’s Loki TV series just introduced the MCU’s first Thor variant in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it easter egg. Episode 5 saw Tom Hiddleston’s trickster trapped in The Void, a realm at the end of time where those pruned by the TVA end up. He encountered many other Gods of Mischief while there, but he was left unaware that there was a wild variant of his brother, the God of Thunder, in the vicinity, too.

At around the 9:00 minute mark of the episode, Loki is led into the assembled Lokis’ underground hideout, as the camera pans down through the earth, we see a few items of note buried in the dirt. A discarded Mjolnir, for instance, is hard to miss. A small figure trapped in a jar, hopping in anger as they try to escape, was harder to make out, though, especially on first viewing. This little critter is actually none other than Frog Thor AKA Throg.

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Unlike Alligator Loki, who is an original creation for the MCU, Throg is a fan favorite from the comics. Originally a human named Simon Walterson he was transformed into a frog by a witch and later encountered Thor, proving himself worthy by wielding Mjolnir and gaining his powers. He later got his own mini-version of the hammer known as Frogjolnir, fashioned from a sliver of the original weapon. As an additional easter egg, Throg’s jar in Loki is labelled “T365”. Thor #365 was where he made his first appearance.

Given how the weirdness of Throg would suit Taika Waititi’s sense of humor so well, fans had been wondering whether the Thunder Frog could appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. Though this could’ve just been a hilarious self-contained cameo and not a hint at the future, now that he’s been made canon in the MCU, it definitely increases his chances of crossing over into the movies.

Loki reaches its finale next Wednesday on Disney Plus.