Loki’s Fate — A Small Change To Improve Infinity War

Even bloated with excitement when seeing Infinity War for the first time, I couldn’t ignore this little bit of bad writing from the first few minutes. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is done an utter disservice in this opening scene.

I’m happy for Thanos to kill Loki. What better way for villains to pass the mantle than for one to kill the other? Loki’s death is also the crux of Thor’s emotional journey. So as a crucial aspect of both Thanos’s arc and Thor’s, I’m happy for Loki to die. It’s how and why he dies that irks me.

As an icon for the MCU, who played a much-loved role in four movies, going back seven years to the third ever film in the Marvel mega-franchise, didn’t Loki deserve a death that was a moment in his own character arc, rather one that only served other character’s stories?

Furthermore, if he is going to die, did he have to do such a bad job of it? Considering his role as the master trickster, don’t you think it undermines his character for his final gambit to be so weak and ineffective? Why did he think his dagger would kill Thanos when even the Hulk could not? And in a room full of other powerful enemies, even. Furthermore, why did he not attempt to trick Thanos instead of giving him the tesseract in the first place? Wouldn’t it have made for a more satisfying and impactful end if he achieved something with his sacrifice, instead of nothing?

(Minor note: Why did Loki pretend to swear allegiance to Thanos, when we assume from the events of the Avengers that he was either already allied with Thanos, or otherwise had already abandoned that commitment?)

To rub in salt to these wounds, Loki’s epitaph, spoken by Thanos, surely did not have to be the cheesy, self-referential, in-your-face line that it was. “No resurrections this time”. If the writers were worried that the audience would think that Loki’s death was open to reversal, that line is only convincing us in the most heavy handed, inorganic way possible. Rather than making the actuality of Loki’s death convincing through the situation, this line is thrown in as a crutch. This blatant telling-not-showing contrivance is an offence to my senses. It saddens me that that is how Loki’s excellent service is put to rest.

With all that said…

How can we improve Loki’s end?

First, let’s look at Loki’s character arc, and aim to write an end that is true to it. Loki’s character is cyclical, one of constant reversal of loyalties: in one scene good, evil the next — he never changes or develops permanently, but the consistency of his duplicity is the character’s greatest asset and part of his unique identity. The way I see it, if Loki is to be murdered he first has to choose sides, and face the moral consequences: either the side of evil and be punished, or the side of good and be absolved. In Infinity War, he choose the side of good and was punished, which I don’t consider a satisfying conclusion.

There was another character that made a choice in this scene: Heimdall. In his case, it was the choice to save Banner by opening the bifrost, but draw attention to himself, or lay low and do nothing about the situation, perhaps allowing Banner to die. It happens quickly, but Thanos emphasises the choice Heimdall had to make: “That was a mistake”, Thanos says, before stabbing Heimdall in the chest.

In some ways, Heimdall’s actions was the instigating event for the rest of the movie. Banner warns first Doctor Strange and Iron Man, and later Captain America’s rebel Avengers, giving the earth-based heroes some time to prepare and protect the infinity stones of time and soul. The beam of light that carries Banner back to earth is the light of hope from Pandora’s box. The Russo’s knew what they were doing here. It’s no accident that it is right after Banner lands back on earth that the Avengers logo finally appears (several minutes into the film), indicating that the story proper has started.

Heimdall’s action is exactly the sort of sacrifice I wanted to see from Loki. When Heimdall does it, it’s just Heimdall doing what Heimdall does — saving people and opening the Bifrost. But for Loki it would have been be a genuine dilemma, choosing between being the villain we best know him as or upholding the values of a hero, saving somebody he doesn’t really care for, somebody he has even hated and has fought with — saving the Hulk, concluding a rivalry between the two that has run since the first Avengers movie! It actually surprises me that the Russo’s missed that potential in this scene.

As a result of Loki doing his, he would furthermore be giving the rest of the heroes a sliver of a chance to fight the approaching menace, and setting the whole plot of Avengers Infinity War in motion.

Even from an irreplaceable icon like Loki, that would be a pretty decent way to go.

What would this look like?

Thanos, as before, stands on the bridge of the decimated Asgardian home-vessel. He is talking to Thor, as he does in the film. Lok isn’t here yet — it’s just Thanos, Thor, and Thanos’s lieutenants. but he goes to kill him, or

Thor is being tortured for the location of the space stone. Loki bursts in. “Thanos, master — you have arrived!

Loki looks around. ”I don’t really approve of what you’ve done with the place…”

“Convenient of you to show up now, Loki.”

“I had really hoped to kill my brother myself. If you could put him down… I have something else here I think you will want to get your hands on-”

Proxima Midnight snatches the cube from Loki’s hand.

“No illusion, my Lord, and I see no betrayal in his mind.”

(Yeah, I’m making Proxima Midnight psychic in my version — it makes up for Supergiant, Thanos’s other lieutenant in the comics, being absent)

Thanos discusses his plan. He is dismissive of Loki, who keeps trying to get involved. (“If you’re going to earth, I have experience there.” / “If you call failure experience” etc.)

Thor is fuming, cursing at his brother and threatening the purple warlord, but Thor is totally incapacitated. Thanos goes to strike Thor into silence when Hulk makes an appearance, jumping in to protect his new best friend.

The scene more or less proceeds as normal from there, but soon Thanos calls for his children to silence the whispers of the injured Asgardians around him so he can add the space stone to his gauntlet in peace. Proxima and Corvus start slicing at the victims sprawled on the floor around the room. As Corvus approaches Hulk’s motionless body, Loki is suddenly struck by unease. He is close to the dead Heimdall, and is saddened by the sight, but also notices that Heimdall’s sword is close by. Corvus gets closer to Bruce.

Finally, the rainbow bridge steals Banner away just before Corvus’s blade strikes. Corvus looks around in confusion. Loki is holding Heimdall’s blade, which he now drops with a clang.

Thanos: “Oh, Loki. The god of trickery… and of bad decisions.”

Maybe Loki fights back now, so we can have the cool shot of Thanos holding back Loki’s blade with the space stone, or maybe Loki accepts his fate at this point. I think the letter is better. Loki isn’t stupid, he didn’t make the decision thinking he could fight his way out or without considering the consequences. He did it because he has actually (for a very brief time, at least) become a good guy. Loki is killed, Thanos claims the space stone. Once the Black Order leaves, Thor collapses over Loki’s body in tears (also crying for Heimdall, who is close by).

We turn back to the rainbow beam of light carrying Banner to Earth. He crash lands. Roll titles.

What do you think?

I loved the latest Avengers movie, but I think this little change would have started the movie off on a much stronger note. Tell me what you think in the comments.

Follow me for more Marvel movie commentary in the future. Bye for now :)