Major spoilers follow for Loki seasons 1 and 2.
Victor Timely was originally set to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in Loki season 1, according to one of the producers.
Spoke exclusively to TechRadar on Loki Season 2 British Junket, Kevin R. Wright – Executive Producer Loki‘s first and second seasons – revealed that the Kang the Conqueror variant, played by Jonathan Majors, almost appeared in the god of mischief’s first appearance on Disney Plus. However, Timely was dropped from the hit series’ debut season due to time and story limitations.
“Victor Timely came about before we even started developing the ideas of what the show would be,” Wright explained. “We were always focused on introducing He Who Remains (in Season 1), but I remember (Loki actor) Tom (Hiddleston) and I had to use this document as a basis before the scripts were even written. Victor was the next document. nice version that we wanted to see Loki.
“There were some scripts from the beginning of Season 1 that we tried to work him into, but there was just too much story. Once we knew we were coming back for Season 2, we knew we had to beat Victor.”
Considering Kang and his multiversal variants – including He Who Remains, who was killed by Sylvie in Loki‘s season 1 finale – are anti-heroic at best and downright evil at worst. Viewers expected Victor Timely to fall into one of those camps. In fact, his appearance in one of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‘s post-credits scenes, coupled with the ominous snippets of Timely-centric footage in Loki The official trailer for season 2 suggested it would be the last.
However, now that the third episode of season 2 is out, fans have noticed that Timely might not be a villain after all. Yes, the introverted inventor from the late 19th century is something of a con artist. However, Timely’s timid attitude and desire – albeit reluctant – to help Loki and co. Resolving their Temporal Loom crisis suggests he may not have the makings of a Kang-like multiversal warlord.
As I teased in my spoiler-free Loki Season 2 review, Timely’s personality and broader importance in the hit Disney Plus series may have MCU fans reevaluating their perception of each universe’s version of Kang. It’s an assessment Wright agreed with, and the Marvel producer revealed why Timely’s inclusion is something of a curve-ball from a character standpoint.
“Season 1 ended with the idea that war is coming,” Wright said. “You have Loki in this heightened and charged emotional state, and there’s so much tension building towards the next time we see one of Kang’s variants.
“But we felt it would be really disarming if the next one wasn’t a sci-fi villain from the future, but a humble guy from the past. That felt like a great tool for us to continue our story about identity. and free will, that’s what this man does to have become that thing? Is he what Loki, Mobius and viewers think he is? Or is he his own man who can make his own choices? That felt like a very rich source of fuel for this season.”
A #Loki EP explains why Jonathan Majors’ arrest didn’t impact Season 2: “It’s the first Marvel series without additional photography. The story on screen is the story we wanted to make… It felt rushed to to do something without knowing how it will turn out.” https://t.co/FWxdSzJDUoOctober 3, 2023
Understandably, Timely’s involvement in Season 2 and future appearances by other Kangs will be overshadowed by Majors’ impending trial. The actor, who also played the role of Kang in Ant Man 3 and He who abides in it Loki‘s first season, has been accused by his former partner of numerous allegations of assault, which Majors and his attorney vehemently deny. The lawsuit against the Majors should have started by now, but has been postponed several times. The first hearing is now scheduled for October 25 – right in the middle of October. Loki the season 2 run.
It is unclear whether Marvel will retain Majors’ services regardless of the outcome of the trial. For his part, Wright said Entertainment tonight “I wouldn’t think it would be appropriate for me to speculate,” so we’ll have to wait for a ruling before more details are announced.
Be sure to check back with TechRadar soon for more information about our exclusive chat with Wright, who answers our biggest questions about the show’s fourth episode, out October 27.