One of the most popular character dynamics in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the sibling rivalry between Asgardian brothers Thor and Loki. MCU lovers adore the banter between Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston and it’s been a rollercoaster ride seeing their complex relationship develop over the years.
It all began in 2011’s Thor, of course, which saw the God of Thunder exiled to Earth, giving the trickster god the perfect opportunity to lead the Frost Giants in a quest to take over Asgard. Apart from the tussle with the Destroyer in New Mexico, the big battle of the third act was Thor and Loki’s fierce fight on the Bifrost bridge.
Now, we’ve got some early concept art for the movie which captures how this sibling skirmish could have gone down differently. The piece displays some very similar character designs to the finalized versions, but there is the odd difference. One’s that Loki sports much longer hair poking out of his helmet than Hiddleston ended up having in the actual production. As shared on Reddit, fans initially believed the piece was illustrated by chief concept artist Ryan Meinerding, but the signature in the bottom right corner reveals that it’s actually by his colleague, Charlie Wen.
Of course, many are still mourning the events of April’s Avengers: Infinity War, which saw Thanos apparently kill Loki once and for all. Seeing as the God of Mischief has seemingly met his demise before, some have theorized that he’s not actually dead. However, Tom Hiddleston himself appears to believe it’ll stick this time.
If this is truly the end for Loki, at least it brings his rocky relationship with Thor to a satisfying and emotional close. Following on from his change of heart in Ragnarok, the God of Mischief decided to betray the Mad Titan for the sake of his brother in Infinity War, finally finding redemption for his villainous actions in earlier movies.