Would Loki Have Worked Better As A Movie?

Out of all of the MCU’s recent streaming output, Loki rightly stands as one of the best received by fans. Tom Hiddleston’s charismatic and mercurial antihero makes for an engaging protagonist, and the series, along with WandaVision, is unlike anything else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

However, many viewers have been left with a glaring what-if in their minds: could Loki have worked better as a movie? This argument has only been compounded off the back of Season 2, which numerous fans found confused and meandering. While Loki has been one of Phase 4 and 5’s high points, there are several reasons this series could have worked even better as a movie.

10 Tom Hiddleston’s Loki has the Star Power Necessary to Carry a Movie

Tom Hiddleston has so perfectly captured the Loki of Marvel Comics that he now seems synonymous with the role. He has proved highly popular with the fanbase of the comics and movies alike. Given the character’s immense appeal—arguably far greater than that of Thor—it seems incongruous that Kevin Feige decided to relegate him to a series.

Given the MCU’s recent decline at the box office and waning critical reception, a well-received movie boasting a star popular with the fanbase and wider public could have considerably bolstered Phase 4 and 5, which many viewers have deemed lackluster following Avengers: Endgame. While the series is brilliant, a movie would have brought the high-profile attention to take it to even greater heights.

9 The LokiSeries is a Continuation of a Movie

Due to the character’s immense popularity, it’s no wonder he was resurrected after his demise in Avengers: Endgame. However, so as not to undo his character progression and overall arc from villain to hero, the MCU decided to bring Loki back as a variant from the Avengers: Assemble era. This was definitely the right call to avoid fan backlash, but it came with its own problems.

Principally, it’s become clear fans of the movies don’t always watch Disney+’s properties. Now, if Loki is to return to the big screen, many viewers will have missed his recent further development in Loki. This will no doubt lead many viewers to feel confused and frustrated if they have not committed to Loki’s twelve hours’ worth of content.

8 The Loki Series has Begun to Lose Focus

One of the foremost reasons why the first season of Loki would have worked so well as a movie is the fact it followed an overarching plot. The season never felt episodic but rather like two movies running back to back. However, with He Who Remains defeated in the first season’s climatic episode, the series has begun to lose focus.

This may have also been the case if the property had been adapted as a movie rather than a series; unfocused sequels are not uncommon in the MCU. However, Season 2’s meandering nature has been compounded by its series format. In having to fill six hours’ worth of content rather than two, Loki has begun to lose the sharp focus a movie would afford.

7 A LokiMovie Could Have Come with A-List MCU Cameos

Aside from a brief cameo from Lady Sif during Season 1, Loki has been sorely lacking in the MCU cameos fans have come to expect from the franchise. While this may be because Loki is perceived as popular enough in his own right, it is a trend that has also been followed by shows such as Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight.

While the Thor franchise has undoubtedly had its highs and lows, its supporting cast has always been one of the most robust and loved in the MCU. If Loki had been a movie rather than a series, it seems implausible that the likes of Heimdall, Valkyrie, and even Thor would not have put in an appearance, lending greater drama and fan excitement.

6 A Loki Movie Would Have Been More Streamlined

The first season of Loki was a masterclass in how to best exploit the series format. While the show followed an overarching story like a movie, existing as a series allowed for broader themes to be dissected while introducing fabulous characters such as Richard E Grant’s Classic Loki.

However, the series format has become more of a hindrance than a help in recent episodes. There was still a clearly defined mission—to save the TVA and spiraling timelines—but this often felt meandering, spread out over six episodes. As a movie, this series could have been awarded the focus it so desperately craved.

5 The Importance of Loki’s Themes Would Better Suit a Movie

Loki holds a very important place within the MCU. Off the back of Avengers: Endgame, Phases 4 and 5 have established the Multiverse Saga. Loki has done more than any other MCU property to consolidate this by introducing the Sacred Timeline and the franchise’s very first glimpse of a Kang variant.

With so much riding on what’s been set in motion and reinforced in Loki, it seems bizarre the property has been relegated to the series format. As many fans exclusively watch the MCU’s movies rather than their Disney+ efforts, numerous viewers will no doubt be lost by the time 2026’s Avengers: Kang Dynasty premiers, which will only serve to contribute to the poor critical reception that has blighted the MCU’s recent output.

4 A LokiMovie Would Have Been a Much-Needed Sterling Entry in Phase 5

With diminishing box office and waning critical appeal, it may feel the MCU has lost some of its magic following Avengers: Endgame. The stories have been perceived as less focused, and turning the spotlight on lesser-known properties has proved to be a divisive move from Kevin Feige.

However, on Disney+, Loki—along with the sublime WandaVision—has bucked this trend, proving immensely popular with fans and critics alike. Given the higher visibility a movie affords, a Loki movie could have been a much-needed brilliant entry in Phase 5, reaping dividends against the ever-swelling crowd of MCU detractors of recent years.

3 LokiProvides a Protagonist Previously Unseen in MCU Movies

One of the main reasons Loki developed as a series rather than a movie was executive producer Stephen Broussard’s assertion that the series format better lends itself to antiheroes. Broussard cited HBO’s Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and The Sopranos as inspiration for the kind of story he was trying to tell.

While there is weight to this argument, the MCU already proved a compelling journey from villain to hero could be achieved in approximately two hours’ worth of screen time through their depiction of Loki. Given the black-and-white morality preferred by the MCU, Loki’s antagonist with a good heart would have made an engaging and fresh protagonist previously unseen in the MCU, this novelty serving to combat the superhero fatigue that numerous pundits bemoan.

2 Kang has not Been Done Justice in the Loki Series

One of the most shocking creative decisions Loki took was introducing He Who Remains at the end of Season 1. Following the defeat of Thanos, Kang is set to be the MCU’s next big bad spanning the Multiverse Saga. Many felt it was bizarre such a villain was introduced in a series that many fans would never bother to see.

Kang is an absolute powerhouse of a villain in Marvel Comics; in many ways, he far outstrips the threat Thanos ever posed. There seemed something almost disrespectful in relegating his big screen debut to a series, his lack of movie presence to that date only serves to dilute the villain’s unquestionable menace and presence.

1 Loki Follows an Overarching Story Better Suited to a Movie

Despite Stephen Broussard citing Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and The Sopranos as inspiration, much of what made these series brilliant is lacking from Loki. These HBO properties told sprawling, serpentine stories that showcased their characters’ spiritual development and descent over decades, whereas Loki leaned into a singular overarching plot.

Given the lack of a subplot in Loki, it often seems bizarre it was a series in the first place. While Season 2 has left greater space for such dramatic avenues, rather than achieving the moral and philosophical quandaries of its HBO inspirations, Loki’s Season 2 has simply become less focused than Season 1. As its format hinged upon a singular goal which lends itself far greater to the movie format, many fans are left questioning the purpose and viability of its episodic nature.