Hear us out. It’s way more likely than you think.
With Doctor Strange currently shooting in Nepal, the rumor mill is starting to turn to Thor: Ragnarok. We’ve already speculated on what might happen in that film and how it’ll set up Avengers: Infinity War… but that got us thinking about everyone’s favorite Asgardian bad boy: Loki.
We think, come Infinity War, he’s going to fight with the Avengers against Thanos… and we have the argument to back it up.
What’s going to happen in Thor: Ragnarok to make Loki turn good?
Well, we never said Loki would turn good. The guy always acts out of his own interests and selfish desires, so joining the Avengers would definitely play into that.
As we speculated before, we think Asgard is going to be destroyed either in Thor: Ragnarock or the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War Part 1. Though the way it happens could be do any number of disasters, we think it’ll be because Thanos wants the cosmic cube from Asgard’s vault… and he’s willing to destroy the whole civilization to get it.
Alright, so Asgard is destroyed. What does this mean for Loki and the Avengers?
It means the Avengers won’t have any cosmic support. We also think the Nova Corps is doing to be destroyed… which means the Avengers will have to team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
As for Loki, it’s very clear from the beginning the guy never wanted to destroy Asgard. Quite the opposite, in fact. He wanted Asgard to love and respect him, which is why he tried to destroy Jotunheim in the first film. In his mind, the reason why he’s overlooked and disrespected is they’re all so enamored with Thor, hence why Loki wanted to hurt him in The Avengers by conquering Earth. In Thor: The Dark World, Loki finally got what he wanted: Thor is gone and Loki is ruling Asgard by himself (albeit disguised as Odin).
So, in comes Thanos who crushes Asgard and thus everything Loki ever wanted. You can bet Loki’s going to want some sweet, sweet revenge.
So, how does Loki join the Avengers then?
Well, despite the complete and utter lack of trust between the two parties it’s actually a pretty beneficial arrangement. To Loki, the Avengers/Guardians of the Galaxy team is probably his best shot at getting some payback and surviving Thanos… who’s probably still a little miffed at Loki after he botched the invasion of Earth.
As for the Avengers, they’ll never trust Loki for a second… but there’s no denying he’s a pretty useful guy to have around in certain circumstances. With Asgard and the Nova Corps probably in ruins, they’ll need every able body to take on Thanos and his hordes. So, they’ll always be waiting for that moment when he betrays them… but until then he’s going to be an Avenger. Well… an honorary Avenger at least.
It’s a marriage of convenience as the saying goes.
What will Loki really want?
The same thing he always has. Tony Stark said it best that Loki is a “full tilt diva.” Despite him being fickle in nature, he’s always going to crave the attention and adoration of others.
So, it’s a pretty safe bet he’s after Thanos’ throne. When the moment comes, he’ll definitely try to betray the Avengers to get it. As for how it goes down and what the outcome is.. that’ll be very interesting to see. We’ll have a much clearer picture when Thor: Ragnarok comes out.
