Marvel Confirms Popular 'Avengers' Fan Theory About Loki

Loki’s death in Avengers: Infinity War was arguably one of the most shocking, as Thanos strangled him right in the opening scene. His death established that The Mad Titan was not one to mess with, and set up audiences for the heartbreaking ending to come, which saw half the population turn to dust at his hands.

Tom Hiddleston’s character has become a fan-favorite throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so much so that fans have been wondering if there is more to the complex character than what meets the eye. A popular fan theory circulating argues Loki’s mind had actually been controlled, from possibly as early as The Avengers. As we learn later on, Loki’s Scepter contained the Mind Stone, given to him by Thanos when he was sent to Earth in the first film. People have theorized the Scepter could not only take over a person’s mind, but also influence what they do, something Loki didn’t realize was being done to him as well.

This theory portrays Loki as more of a victim instead of a villain, something many Marvel fans have debated for years. And now, as pointed out by ScreenRant, it’s apparently been proven true.

Marvel's official character page for Loki was casually changed, confirming the popular fan theory. It’s not known when exactly the description was updated, but it now reads:

“Arriving at the Sanctuary through a wormhole caused by the Bifrost, Loki met the Other, ruler of the ancient race of extraterrestrials the Chitauri, and Thanos. Offering the God of Mischief dominion over his brother’s favorite realm Earth, Thanos requested the Tesseract in return. Gifted with a Scepter that acted as a mind control device, Loki would be able to influence others. Unbeknownst to him, the Scepter was also influencing him, fueling his hatred over his brother Thor and the inhabitants of Earth.”

This explanation without a doubt explains why Loki started out so villainous in the MCU, then turning into a loving brother to Thor who ultimately died a hero. We thought it was just some solid character development.

Marvel bosses have not commented on the confirmation. Now we can just speculate if/how this will affect the upcoming live-action Loki series, set to premiere on Disney+.

This article also appears on Mental Floss.