With Avengers: Doomsday reshoots now taking place in the UK, the rumour mill is churning out some wild claims. One of the biggest relates to Tom Hiddleston's Loki and what we can expect from the God of Stories as the end of the Multiverse Saga nears.
We've heard for some time that the Asgardian dies at Doctor Doom's hands in the next Avengers movie (his heart is said to be at least part of what powers Doom's spell to create Battleworld). That's disappointed many fans after the Loki TV series, especially as it feels like a retread of his demise at Thanos' hands in Avengers: Infinity War.
Rumours that Loki fakes his death have swirled over the past day or two, which supposedly leads to him assembling a team on Battleworld. While we have heard that a powerless Loki could factor into Avengers: Secret Wars, a fake-out for God Loki may not be on the cards, after all.
According to @MyTimeToShineH, Loki is "dead-dead" after Avengers: Doomsday, primarily because "the movie couldn’t end the way it does if he were still alive."
Like in Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic's Secret Wars, Battleworld will almost certainly be home to countless Variants of familiar faces, with Loki among them. Most probably won't remember their lives before that makeshift reality's creation, so God Loki's story—which began in Avengers: Endgame and ended in Loki Season 2—will probably be over after Doomsday.
Another rumour doing the rounds today claims that Barbie and The Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie is in "serious talks" to join the MCU. With an X-Men reboot on the horizon, let the speculation commence (Robbie was previously eyed for The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Invisible Woman).
It's also said that Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch is definitely returning to the MCU, which we've obviously suspected for some time now. However, if the X post below is any indication, that could prove controversial.
Finally, yet another low-res Avengers: Doomsday image has leaked. This one picks up after The Fantastic Four: First Steps' mid-credits scene, with Sue Storm and Franklin Richards sitting with Doctor Doom after he arrives in the Baxter Building.
Remember, on Earth-828, he used to be an ally of the team, so that likely explains why he's received a somewhat warm welcome. Losing his wife and child makes sense of that tender moment with Franklin, and if Marvel Studios follows the comics, Sue and Franklin will belong to Doom on Battleworld...
In Avengers: Doomsday, beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.
Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, India Rose Hemsworth, and Wesley Holloway all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, as do X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, with Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. The movie is produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Jonathan Schwartz, with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18.