Loki Originally Had a Happy Ending

This post contains spoilers for Loki and other MCU shows

Of all the Disney+ shows so far, few have been as impactful as the ending of Loki. While WandaVision set up Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced the new Captain America, and Hawkeye brought back the Kingpin, Loki changed the MCU. What began as a character study of the Avengers’ first antagonist became a launching point for the multiverse, in which Loki and his Variant Sylvie encountered He Who Remains, the Variant of Kang the Conqueror who ran the TVA. In choosing to kill He Who Remains, Sylvie created the multiverse, effectively launching the Multiverse Saga, which encompasses Phases Four through Six.

But originally, Loki had much smaller ambitions for the God of Mischief. According to the recently released book Marvel’s Loki: The Art of the Series, the Disney+ series was set to end with a reformed Loki leaving for new adventures. Within the book, we see a variety of costumes designed for Loki. As revealed by Visual Development Concept Illustrator Wesley Burt (via The Direct), the suits were intended to be a “sendoff” sendoff for Loki. “He’s grown and changed, and he’s more at peace at this point,” explained Burt. “He was going to depart off on to some of his own adventures in a different realm.”

While the book does not reveal what exactly that realm would be, the costumes do give us some indication. Most of the costumes combine his (by this point) two most iconic looks, with a long green duster, similar to the style he debuted in The Avengers, and the white button-down and black tie combo he sported throughout Loki. But along with them are some special tinges, designed for his later adventures.

One version of the costume includes puffy white lining around the collar and Asgardian design work on the sleeves and vest, drawing clearer connections to his stature as a god. In another, Loki’s jacket is shiny and silver and he wears two crossed-over belts low on his waist, recalling Han Solo from Star Wars or maybe one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Still another puts Loki in a sleek black suit accented by a gold necklace, which has a Wakandan flair.

Throughout the book, Burt provided the rationale for these various designs, only gesturing at the stories they’d tell. “Some of the designs were incorporating a bit of the TVA uniform that he had been wearing throughout the season—like a customized version of it—and then some are based on various Lokis from different comics,” he explained. “The ones in the billowy white and black robes were both like an enlightened, yoga-practicing Loki,” he said of a Loki’s draped in a sash. Several of the costumes have an adventurous feel, owing to Burt’s “swashbuckler” approach, featuring “half coat and the double belts, straps, and things on the jacket.”

While these costumes may have made for a happier ending for the character, few will complain about the fact that we’ll get to have more Loki in the upcoming second season. Some of these costumes may make their appearance, but if set photos for the upcoming season are to be believed, poor Sylvie is stuck with a McDonald’s uniform. Then again, what can be more impactful and adventurous than working in fast food?