So, Let's Talk About THAT Loki Scene In 'Avengers: Infinity War'

Spoilers for Infinity War ahead! Consider Marvel fans officially in a state of mourning. Marvel had promised some major deaths in Avengers: Infinity War, and boy did they deliver. Loki's fate in Avengers: Infinity War was particularly controversial. Rumors of his death were prevalent in the ramp up to the film's release, and it does look like Loki is really dead at the end of Infinity War. Prior to the film's release, rumors suggested that the longest-running villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be one of the first casualties in the fight against Thanos, and, for now at least, it does look like fans were right. But, is Loki really dead for good?

Loki, as played by Tom Hiddleston, has had a long road in the MCU. Since his very first appearance in Thor (2011), Loki has appeared consistently in the MCU, with Infinity War marking his fifth film as part of the franchise. But, alas, all good things must come to an end, and it certainly looks like Loki has finally met a death he can't illusion his way out of. Within the first 20 minutes of Infinity War, he was laying dead on a spaceship floor, his skin grey and lifeless. Unlike the last time Loki died in Thor: The Dark World, there was no ambiguity in this death. In what appear to be Loki's final moments, audiences heard the distinctive snap of his neck as Thanos strangled him, they saw a close up of his face devoid of color or any sign of life. There were also Thanos' final words to Loki after he dropped his body unceremoniously at his feet: "No resurrections this time."

The MCU has never really embraced death of major characters. Not even the villainous Loki met his end in The Avengers or (really) Thor: Ragnarok, and characters who appeared to have suffered permanent death have returned before (see Bucky Barnes, who died in Captain America: The First Avenger only to return as The Winter Soldier). Moreover the dramatic ending of Infinity War saw half of the Earth's mightiest heroes disappear into nothing thanks to Thanos' victory, and fans know that at least some of those heroes — Black Panther, Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy — will be saved in Avengers 4 in time to star in their own franchise sequels.

So we know that some casualties of Infinity War will be undone. Could Loki be among the characters presumaly saved in Avengers 4? He could, but it doesn't look good, and here's why.

Loki's Redemption

Loki's redemption in Thor: Ragnarok continued in the opening of Infinity War, when Loki not only surrendered the Space Stone to save his brother, but also appeared to double cross Thor before attempting to kill Thanos once and for all. His failure, while predictable, was tragic. Loki, the God who started out as a villain, ended his time in the MCU as a hero who sacrificed himself for his brother, something he never would have done before. Yes, in Thor: The Dark World, Loki appeared to sacrifice himself to save Thor and Odin, only to trick Asgard into thinking that he was really his father so he could rule the Nine Realms. That said, something about this time just feels different.

Loki's Infinity War death was much more detailed and graphic than it was in The Dark World, with a much greater feeling of finality to it. And his redemption felt more legitimate, particularly after everything Thor and Loki went through in Thor: Ragnarok, giving it more meaning.

The Soul Stone

If you've seen Infinity War, then you know that not all deaths will be permanent, specifically the deaths at the end of the movie that happened when Thanos snapped his fingers, causing half the population of every planet in the universe to vanish into ash. (It seems likely that these characters will be saved either by time travel or the Soul Stone.) In other words, deaths related to or caused by the Infinity Stones definitely seem to be reversible. Loki, however, was not killed via Infinity Stone, and he never came into contact with the Soul Stone. If most of the characters who died in Infinity War will be brought back thanks to some cosmic magic, it will relate to the Infinity Stones, and thus not apply to Loki.

This Interview

Tom Hiddleston's 12-minute interview with the BBC definitely sounds like the kind of interview an actor gives when they're ready to say goodbye to the character that made them a superstar.

It looks like it's finally time for one of MCU's greatest characters to bite the dust, and so let us all mourn Loki as he would have wanted: with a huge statue and a badly written play performed in his honor.