Tom Hiddleston Has Quietly Become The New Robert Downey Jr. Of The MCU

Summary:

• The MCU will most likely never return to its former glory for a simple reason
• Most of the old characters are gone, and the new replacements aren't particularly brilliant
• Loki has become the best character in the franchise, rightfully replacing the old MCU icons

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been an undisputed pinnacle of superhero movies for over a decade, with each new installment being a major event, generating significant buzz and drawing countless viewers to theaters.

However, many fans rightly point out that for them, the MCU ended with 2019's Avengers: Endgame, as the rapid decline of the cinematic universe became more apparent with each new film after its release, with only a few rare unanimously praised gems appearing since.

While fans and creators alike are still wondering what is the reason for this depressing state of affairs, with some pointing to so-called "superhero fatigue" and others simply saying that the new Marvel films have dropped in quality, there is another obscure possible factor.

Disappointing Changes

Endgame, true to its title, marked the end of the old MCU that everyone had come to know and love over the years, with most of the major characters dying, retiring, or moving to the sidelines, and the replacements for them simply not being as good.

No offense to the actors, as it's not exactly their fault, but Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson and Dominique Thorne 's Riri Williams will never be able to come close to Chris Evans ' Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr. 's Tony Stark, especially the latter.

Downey Jr. has been a pillar of the entire cinematic universe since his debut as Iron Man in 2008, which also kicked off the MCU, until his character finally met his demise in Endgame in an absolutely epic and heroic manner worthy of his status.

Steve Rogers also left the character roster, retiring at the end of the movie, and so far Chris Evans has no desire to reprise the role, Hulk and Hawkeye have been sidelined (although the latter briefly starred in his own show), and Black Widow died in a previous film and only got an underwhelming prequel.

This was the beginning of a dark period for the MCU that continues to this day, but a familiar face suddenly reappeared and became a beacon of hope in the sea of mediocre Marvel movies.

Former Villain Saves The Day

Tom Hiddleston, who has portrayed Loki since the fourth installment in the franchise, Thor, released in 2011, can now be considered a worthy replacement for the aforementioned MCU icons, which is further proven by the recent debut of the second season of the Loki TV series.

Over the course of the cinematic universe, Loki has come a long way, transforming from villain to anti-hero, dying a heroic death, and spawning an alternative variant that has now become one of the MCU's most important heroes.

Hiddleston, who has portrayed the character since his debut in Phase 1, has managed to convey all of these changes perfectly, being equally brilliant as the villainous God of Mischief, who had to overcome his bitterness towards his own brother, and the current version of Loki.

The first season of the TV series named after the character showed us how an alternate version of him, accidentally created during Endgame, had to adjust to a new role as a multiversal hero, becoming a completely different person in the process.

Now, the second season of the show follows Loki as he becomes a pillar of the MCU, just like Iron Man once was, trying to stop Kang the Conqueror and save all timelines while most of the other heroes aren't even aware of the threat.

Season 2 of the Loki TV series has already passed its halfway point, and hopefully the remaining two episodes won't disappoint, with episode 5 premiering on November 2, 2023.