The Thor Franchise Cannot Survive Without Loki (& Love and Thunder Proved It)

Thor: Love and Thunder is unique among the Thor films because it is the only one not to feature the God of Mischief in any capacity. Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, has been a staple of these films since the beginning. However, since the original version of the character died in Avengers: Infinity War, and an alternate version wanders the multiverse in Loki, it’s understandable that the character doesn’t return for the franchise’s fourth installment.

But one can’t help but feel something is missing without Thor and Loki’s brotherly dynamic. The evolution of their relationship is one of the strongest story threads throughout the first three Phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, without it, Love and Thunder feels a bit empty.

The backbone of the first Thor was built on Thor and Loki. Their relationship formed from the 1000+ years they have spent growing up together. But the revelation that Loki is a frost giant breaks the God of Mischief, as he thinks he could never live up to Odin’s “real” son, Thor. And that sets Loki on a dark path, ostracizing him from his brother and the rest of his family.

However, Thor never gives up on him. Sure, the pair have frequently fought in the MCU, but even after Loki begins his conquest of Earth in The Avengers, Thor’s first action is to implore him to return home as his brother. Even in Thor: The Dark World, the brothers' complicated relationship is a dramatic driving force throughout that film.

But the moment their relationship crescendos is in Thor: Ragnarok. Loki is no longer obsessed with a desire to rule -- he got that wish pretending to be Odin on the throne of Asgard. Instead, he is simply trying to survive. However, the most interesting part of Ragnarok is that after centuries of fighting, Thor and Loki finally start to understand each other.

And just when they finally reach this point, Thanos’ ship attacks, and the Mad Titan kills Loki. It’s a wonderfully tragic end to their relationship. But that’s the problem -- the rest of the story keeps going. Thor could have used his brother's help to fight Gorr or even as a shoulder to cry on about his issues with Jane. Instead, the God of Thunder is without his best friend, and his movie suffers because of it.

See how Loki is missing from the God of Thunder's fourth film in Thor: Love and Thunder, playing in theaters now.