MCU Creators Considered Making Loki's Wildest Kang Theory Reality

The team behind Marvel's Loki considered making a major He Who Remains change that would have made the show's wildest Kang the Conqueror theory true.

Loki season 1 could have had He Who Remains as the variant of another major Marvel Cinematic Universe character, not Kang the Conqueror, making Loki's wildest Kang theory true. Jonathan Majors first debuted as He Who Remains in Loki, then played Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but things could have been very different.

Speaking with Den of Geek, Loki producer Kevin Wright revealed that the team behind the series considered making He Who Remains a Loki variant. Check out the full quote below:

“We just thought [He Who Remains] would be a great title for the last man standing in the multiversal war. In the writers’ room, all ideas are on the table, and there were conversations about what if Loki was He Who Remains. Those conversations didn’t get very far; I don’t think it even got to Tom [Hiddleston] because while there is something fun about that, and there are compelling aspects to it, it makes the universe feel small. So, it was always going to be He Who Remains, always a version of Kang.”

The MCU Finally Remembers The Avengers Replacements Exist 2 Years After Their $400M Debut

The MCU Phase 4 and 5 have faced criticism for not doing much with its newly introduced characters, but a fun Easter egg helps rectify that.

After almost two years of relative silence, it looks like the MCU is finally ready to start acknowledging The Eternals' hidden history in the timeline, with a subtle nod to the team's existence in Loki season 2, episode 2. Eternals opened to mixed reviews in November 2021, setting up multiple storylines to explore, yet the team has been largely ignored ever since, except for one or two very well-hidden Easter eggs. The Eternals have been operating on Earth for centuries, secretly pulling the strings of human history. However, outside their feature film, the team has been sidelined.

Directed by Chloé Zao, Eternals was an ambitious project that spanned across centuries. It set up a number of storylines that seemed crucial to the future of the MCU, including Tiamut the Celestial being left frozen and exposed in the middle of the ocean. Apart from a passing reference to Tiamut in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, these stories have been left untouched. The film's poor reception means it's unclear when these characters will be revisited, but the Loki Easter Egg is a timely acknowledgment of The Eternals' past.

Loki's Eternals Reference Explained

Loki season 2, episode 2 features a number of Easter eggs, but with the time-traveling focus of the series, it was the perfect moment to acknowledge a group of immortal beings, even if it was a subtle reminder. As Loki and Mobius walk through London’s West End in 1977 to confront X5/Brad Wolfe, they walk past some movie posters, including one featuring the likeness of Eternals hero, Kingo. At one point in Eternals, the team splits up, leaving each to pursue their own path. Kingo, played by Kumail Nunjiani, has abandoned a life in the shadows for a more public one as a Bollywood star.

How Kingo Is Around in Loki's 1977

It's not the first time the MCU has provided a knowing nod to Kingo and his acting career, with the charismatic superhero previously featured in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The short film’s major focus is on Drax the Destroyer and Mantis as they look to bring Kevin Bacon to Star-Lord as his Christmas gift. As the duo seeks out the Hollywood actor they pass a couple of posters for Kingo's movies. As a Bollywood superstar, Kingo has appeared in countless films over the years, but the most recent reference hints at a possible future for Kingo and The Eternals in the MCU.

The Eternals previous existence has never been touched on in the MCU, however. By living such a public life, Kingo's longevity as a performer would surely be questioned at some point. In Eternals, Kingo covered his immortality by simply claiming to be from a long line of actors who replaced each other every generation. The poster in 1977 is likely to be Kingo's "father." At some point, the hidden history of the first team to replace The Avengers needed to be remembered, and it makes sense that a series like Loki focused on time travel would be the place to finally do it.