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WMG / Thor: The Dark World

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As a WMG subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

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     Pre-Release Theories 

Loki will not be the villain, but it will be about Raganrok
  • The villain will be Surtur, who wants to bring about Ragnarok and end all of existance. But he knows the prophecy says Loki will cause it, so he tries to get Loki to do so.
    • And Loki refuses. Surtur then proceeds to kidnap/do something to get Loki out of the way while making it look like Loki's doing horrible things, hoping that Loki will be found and punished for them because no one would believe he didn't (and subquently go mad from whatever the awful punishment is)... But Thor and maybe Odin and Frigga realize it's not Loki's doing, so Thor has to find and save Loki before Surtur destroys too much pretending to be Loki, setting up an Enemy Mine...and all that's the first act.
    • The second act will deal with Thor and Loki's issues with each other while they go on some quest to find some MacGuffin to stop Surtur, including Loki turning into his jotun form and lashing out at Thor and Thor eventually giving Loki a long cooldown hug (with optional frostbite ensuing). They will get to the MacGuffin after fighting beings like Jormungand (not Loki's son here) and Dark Elves (maybe Malekith the Accursed or Pre-Kurse Algrim the Strong) and get to the MacGuffin, but it's just a Magic Feather and Loki says "well, that's it then" and knocks Thor out.
      • This. Especially the hug. This please.
    • The third act will look like Loki's defected to Surtur out of pragmatism, but it'll turn out to be a sneak Suicide Attack that nearly kills Loki when Thor rushes in to save him. The Magic Feather turns out to not be a Magic Feather, but actually have a use, and heals both of them, and they go after Surtur in a massive battle to top any and all previous massive battles and be a Moment of Awesome for both brothers. Then, Loki will leave, pointing out that he's still done horrible things, but he'll come by now and again "to make things not so boring" (aka help out if they need him). It will be a Heartwarming Moment, a Tearjerker and proof that Loki can never really be a Karma Houdini here.
  • And then, in the coda, we'll see the Enchantress forming the Masters of Evil to go after Jane Foster...
  • Apparently Loki will be returning, but not as the villain. They're in talks with Mads Mikkelsen to play the villain, but who he'll play is kind of up in the air. The article dismisses the Executioner based on size, but after watching Valhalla Rising, I could definitely see him in the role. If they can make Idris Elba Heimdal, they can make Mads Mikkelsen the Executioner. That being said, Executioner's still kind of a pawn to Enchantress, and both are really a step down from Loki in every respect. Someone else threw out the idea he'd play Malekith, but really, that'd just be Loki's angle without the brother/father issues.
    • The villain has been confirmed as Christopher Eccleston playing Malekith the Accursed. Perhaps this could set up Ragnarok and Surtur for the third movie, just as Malekith was the prelude in the comics.

The Big Bad of Thor 2 will be Surtur.
They wouldn't miss the chance of using one of the best (as well as the best-known) story arcs from the comic book, would they? Also, since the movie version of Loki is an Anti-Villain seeking his father's approval, the Surtur War will give him a chance to redeem himself. (In the comic book Loki also fought Surtur, although for more selfish reasons.)
  • If this happens, and they use the "For Asgard/Midgard/myself!" lines, the theaters will explode from awesome.
  • Does this mean Beta Ray Bill will show up?
  • Jossed.

Thor 2 will have a romantic subplot...
Focusing on the Sif-Thor-Jane Love Triangle (dynamics depending on whether you interpret Thor and Jane being friends or an item). Thor and Jane are definitely set up in the first film, while Sif is very much attracted to Thor (and he flirts with her) along with being his wife in the original myths.
  • There are hints of this, but it isn't a focus.

Jane will be found worthy.
Even if it's just a quick scene of her moving the hammer out of the way to get to one of her scientific instruments.
  • Jossed for this film.

The Enchantress will break Loki out of prison in Thor 2.
Yup.
  • Jossed.

Thor 2 leads into Captain America 2
Thanos will recruit the Red Skull, who has been imprisoned in Odin's trophy room following Captain America: The First Avenger, to steal the Infinity Gauntlet. He will then send Red Skull back to Midgard to serve as his herald, thus setting the plot for Captain America 2.
  • Jossed.

The villains of Thor 2 will be Hela (casting unknown) and her Black Elf father (formerly Mads Mikkelsen, now unknown), and will provide a mirror of Loki's issues with Odin.
As far as I know, all we know about the villain is that he's supposedly not Thanos. Mads Mikkelsen would be passable as a svartalfr, if the makeup toned him down instead of emphasizing him like the Jotun. As a person raised on Jotunheim who seems suspiciously human-like, pale of skin and raven of hair, she could easily parallel Loki, born of Jotun and taken by the Aeis. Considering the reputation the svartalfar have for being magical craftsmen akin to (or kin of) the Dwarves, it's possible that they will be brought in to fix the Bifrost or contain Loki and then (under the guidance of the Jotun-raised [Princess?] Hela) attempt a power grab.
  • Jossed.

Thor 2 will involve Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three traveling to other realms to face a threat. Since the Bifrost is still damaged, they will be forced to use Loki as a guide.
  • Confirmed, the Bifrost is repaired but closed, so Thor decides to break out Loki.

Loki will spend the majority of his time in Thor 2: The Dark World banished to the Isle of Silence.
That is, until Thanos comes looking for him...
  • Jossed

Thor 2 will open Jane opening a wormhole.
She will manage to end up in Asgard, but is found by two guards who do not recognize her as Thor's Midgardian love, but assume she is an enemy, chain her up, and bring her to the king. . .who is Thor.
  • Jossed, although she accidentally ‘‘does‘‘ walk into a wormhole.

We will see some bilge snipe in Thor 2.
Or at least, a glimpse of one.
  • Jossed.

The Casket will be the centerpiece of Thor 2.
Of the many weapons Loki uses in The Avengers, among them is not the casket, which we know he has with him. I'm guessing that he saw that his defeat was possible, so he left the casket on Earth as a way to either attract the Jotun to attack Midgard or as a form of bomb. The Casket will activate at a predetermined time, thus endangering the world since no mortal could approach it.
  • Jossed.

Volstagg will be noticeably heavier in the next movie.
Possibly as a result of being introduced to "junk food" on Midgard.
  • Jossed, he’s as voluminous as he was before.

The film will set up for Surtur in the third film
  • Malekith first appeared during Walt Simonson's run and was one of Surtur's servants. Hopefully we'll get the forging of the Twilight Sword. Chris Hemsworth is a fan of the run, and he even teases at...
    • Jossed, Muspelheim is shown as in passing one of the Nine Realms during the Convergence but is not mentioned by name, nor do either of the stingers suggest this. Doesn't mean he won't be in it though.

Beta Ray Bill will be in the film
  • Please, oh please let this happen.
  • Alternatively, he'll be in The Stinger as a set-up for Thor 3
    • Jossed.

The fact that Loki is a frost giant will prove beneficial during Thor 2
Either Malekith is hiding in an obscenely cold place, or Malekith refuses to work with either humans or Asgardians, so Thor and Odin have to send Loki to talk to Malekith. Loki has mixed feelings on the whole thing. On the one hand, he's being used.
  • Jossed. Although it's a stretch to confirm if you assume Loki survived getting impaled because he is a frost giant. It was mentioned on the Headscratchers page.

Malekith will visit Loki in his cell
Malekith will offer things to Loki for either help or information. Loki turns him down. Expect this and the scene where Loki passes the information onto Thor to be his only two scenes.
  • Jossed. Frigga's actress confirmed she and Loki will have to talk and there is so much to explore with Loki's character since his defeat by the Avengers. Besides, Loki got his own fandom, and they are a bit pissed off with his role in The Avengers, where he was a complete monster. An Audience-Alienating Premise is not good for business, Loki will have an important role in this film. Count with it.

The Stinger will have:
Loki, whom after doing his Enemy Mine with Thor, will have escaped and taken the Infinity Gauntlet from Odin's throne room and given it to Thanos as compensation for his failure on taking over Earth.
  • Jossed.

By the end of the movie, Loki will become the Kid Loki of Journey into Mystery.
This movie is supposed to put Loki on a redemption arc. However, considering how many people Loki got killed in the first Thor movie and The Avengers, it'd be pretty hard to redeem him fully without falling for Protagonist-Centered Morality. But what if Loki does a Heroic Sacrifice in this movie, and thus redeems himself? By the end movie Thor (or Odin) will then resurrect him as a kid (just like in the comics), and since the new Kid Loki isn't technically responsible for the old one's crimes, they could set him up as a proper Anti-Hero. Thus they can use one of the most popular interpretations of Loki from the comics, and also set up the plot for Thor 3, where Thor and Loki will have to work together to defeat Surtur.
  • Unlikely. Those are films, films based in comic books, but films nonetheless. There are things that simply do not work well in films with actors, even if they may work well in comics (but then again, comics are the minor cousin in the entertainment industry, so "work well" is relative). A character from an action-oriented work going back to infancy, and expected to continue in the game as a kid, is one of those things. The Willing Suspension of Disbelief has its limits.
  • Officially Jossed.]

Thor and Loki's Enemy Mine - The Death of Frigga
These two are well known for teaming up in the comics. This is pretty much only when Asgard is under threat, though; after all, Loki can't rule Asgard if it's destroyed. In the Cinematic universe, though, Loki even said himself in the first film he doesn't want to rule Asgard; he just wanted to be Thor's equal. So how would Thor convince Loki to team up with him in this film? Their mother dies. In this article here there are rumours that this may happen. Frigga is the only one left who Loki still cares about, and with her death (possibly at the hands of the Dark Elves), it gives him a pretty good reason to briefly forget that he hates Thor's guts so they can team up and avenge her.
  • Confirmed.

This film will serve as a reversal of the first.
It will spend a little time on Earth, but a majority of the film will be spent on Asgard, with Jane, Darcy and Dr. Selvig as Fish out of Water and Thor attempting to help his friends navigate this strange new world, as they did for him.
  • Recent comments from Hemsworth indicate that this will indeed be the case.
  • The recent trailer shows this may only happen with Jane. Darcy and Dr. Selvig are apparently left on Earth.
    • Confirmed, mostly.

Thor will cut loose.
Malekith & Kurse's villainy will finally force Thor to go all out, Jotunheim style, perhaps following a "No More Holding Back" Speech. He'll end up causing a sizeable amount of collateral damage with lightning-amped hammer slams and the like. Maybe it'll be enough to take down Kurse, maybe it won't. This may put some strain on his relationship with Jane.

By the end of the movie Lady Loki will appear.
In Marvel canon, I'm pretty sure that he takes over Sif's body to become Lady Loki. Sif looks pretty jealous of Jane being brought to Asgard in the trailer, so maybe Loki will either be able to manipulate her into letting him take over her body, or will take it by force at her lowest emotional moment.
  • Sadly unlikely for the same reason Kid Loki is unlikely, as discussed above: Tom Hiddleston is the best-known face for the character of Loki, and they won't change that without a very compelling reason.
  • Jossed.

Loki will die in this movie.
Loki's redemption will come at the cost of his life - he'll jump in front of either Thor or Jane to save them from a Malekith-attack (there's a big NO from Thor in the trailer, maybe this is why). He's done a lot of terrible things, things that can't really be atoned for by the administration of a warm hug and a rueful smile. Then again, it might not be on the cards, it's in Marvel's best interests to keep the Loki-arc open because there are hordes of people counting down the days for this just for the chance to see the God of Mischief in action again.
  • Alternatively, the film could just start him on a redemption arc which spans for a few more films (Avengers 2 & 3, Thor 3, etc). As above, his actions can't be forgiven with a "warm hug and a rueful smile". A redemption arc spanning several films would be just as believable as him dying, as there would be plenty of time for him to make up for his mistakes and facing the consequences of what he's done.
  • Look at the part of the trailer just before Thor does his big NO Look at who is the apparent ‘sacrifice’: who else would be wearing leather with green material for wrist-guards? Thor’s always preferred red and blue highlights and Jane’s not wearing leather. It’s already been established that Loki is probably not the type to kneel voluntarily. Apparently this is at the hands of MALEKITH THE ACCURSED, who is not some puny human or burly non-magic Asgardian but an accomplished Dark Elf magic-user not likely to be fooled by Loki-reflections. However, trailers are reputed to be repositories of misdirection of the finest quality, and the people behind these movies know that poking a hornet’s nest of Loki-fans is probably a good way to make sure they’ve got an audience.
  • It was revealed at the end of Journey into Mystery that the entire chain of events from Loki's Heroic Sacrifice to save Asgard through his reincarnation and gradual winning of the trust of those around him was a plan to clear his name and free him up for further shenanigans of as-yet undetermined morality. Faking his own Redemption Equals Death ? Absolutely possible.
    • Confirmed, sort of. He appears to die for real at first, but then it turns out the death was faked.

SHIELD will show up with Phase II weapons.
An extra-dimensional invasion of Dark Elves? This is exactly what Phase II was designed for. It wasn't ready in the Avengers, but the Chitauri invasion probably made them step up their time table. You just know SHIELD's been monitoring Jane anyway. When Jane travels to Asgard, Selvig and Darcy will probably alert SHIELD as soon as they can. At the very least, the United Kingdom's military/police will show up to fight the Dark Elf invasion.
  • Jossed. They don't show up.]

At some point Loki will explain to Malekith just why invading earth is a bad idea.
"We have an army!""They have a Hulk."

Loki vs. Kurse will feature a Call Back to the Hulk Smash scene:
By Word of God (Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje) Loki and Kurse come to blows. This would be a perfect opportunity for Loki to avoid his opponent and say something to the effect of "I don't make the same mistakes twice." He'll probably still go down, but at least he'll show that he could have put up a fight if not for his sheer hubris against Jade Jaws.
  • Half and half. Loki and Kurse come to blows, but it's not a call back to the Hulk Smash scene.

Loki will become a butt monkey in this movie.
Continuing from his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Hulk, Loki's luck will get worse and worse to the point where he's reduced to nothing more than a comic relief character.
  • Half and half. Loki delivers a lot of comedy and receives a lot of death threats, but it's with Trickster God style and he has plenty of serious moments.

Malekith will be scarred by Odin
According to a few magazine pictures, Malekith isn't scarred during the Dark Elves/Marauder's invasion of Asgard. Perhaps he'll taste the wrath of Gungnir.
  • Jossed. He's scarred by Thor.

Surtur will appear in some fashion
Perhaps he's the darkness that predates the universe and the one who gives Malekith his power.
  • Jossed.

Surtur will not only appear, but he will be a Composite Character.
Namely one of himself and Dormammu, setting him up as the Big Bad of the probably-to-be-released-in-2016 Doctor Strange film.
  • Jossed.

Loki will pull his hologram decoy act again.
This time Thor will see it coming and hilariously yet awesomely hit him for it. Alternately, he'll pull it on Kurse, and then snidely comment to Thor that "it's nice to see someone other than you fall for that."
  • Loki pulls an act, and Thor doesn't fall for it...but it's not funny nor awesome. The scene is one hell of a Tear Jerker; Loki is trying to look composed in front of Thor after the death of their mother, but then reveals that he's torn his cell apart.
  • He does it again to pull a long con on Malekith, and it is awesome.

Fandral and Darcy Lewis will start a romance in this film.
They have a "blink and you'll miss it" moment of flirtation in the background of the first movie, and Kat Dennings has teased that Darcy may get some romance action in The Dark World. Alterantively, she's together with that guy who's helping her with something in the trailer (he's apparently called Ian).
  • Confirmed for the latter, Jossed for the former.

When Loki slices off Thor's hand, he's being magically amped by Malekith
  • Jossed, it was an illusion to trick Malekith into trusting him.

Malekith is weakening Thor with his (anti-matter based?) power.
  • This might explain Jane lying on a glowing table in Asgard.
    • Jossed for both.

Loki pulls a Snape.
In which he pretends to be on Malekith's side, but is really fighting for Asgard. The whole 'slicing off Thor's hand' business could be an instant of If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!, and he uses his trickster/magic abilities to only make it look like he'd done it. Certainly the scene in the new trailer where Malekith is levitating Jane with Loki, the Dark Elves and possibly Thor standing by would be a good opportunity to betray either side for Laufeyson.
  • Loki supposedly betraying Thor was part of The Plan. So yes, Loki really is fighting for Asgard, but only Thor knew about the trick.

Thor won't lose his hand to Loki
Tyr will. After all, that's primarily what Tyr is known for.
  • Jossed, though "Thor won't lose his hand to Loki" is confirmed.

The Dark Elf invasion has something to do with Odin sending Thor back to Earth in Avengers
  • When Thor went back on Earth in Avengers, Loki mentioned Odin had used "Dark Energy" to send him. This might have a connection with the Dark Elves, hence the title.
    • This happens indirectly: if Thor hadn't come to Earth in the first film then Jane might not have been in England to accidentally find the Aether, and Malakith wouldn't have known where to look for it if it hadn't escaped from its containment to infect Jane.

OK, The Deaths...
Alan Taylor has said there's gonna be a lot of deaths in this one. He said Thor survives, but everyone else isn't safe. So, there's a lot of people who could die:
  • Jane Foster - A meta-reason for this is because she was reluctant to come back, meaning there's a chance she won't come back for a third (despite being the one to confirm a third film). Killing her off could give Thor some much needed angst/character development, and getting rid of Jane would give more room to expand on Thor and Sif's relationship (also, it'll go with what happened in the comics).
    • Jossed.
  • Loki - Because of reasons mentioned further up the page. The most obvious is him pulling a Redemption Equals Death, saving everyone. Or his plans could blow up in his face again and he dies as a result of it, although that is less likely. What goes against this theory is that Hiddleston has signed on for six films, not to mention the fan outcry that will occur. Unless he fakes his death, like he did in the first film.
    • Sort of confirmed. He fakes his death.
  • Erik and/or Darcy - Because killing off innocents is always a good way to show just how serious this threat is. Erik is the most likely choice, but Darcy isn't safe, either. Then there's also her new "boyfriend", Ian.
    • Jossed.
  • Heimdall - He could die protecting Asgard, showing just how dangerous this enemy is. Since he's so badass, probably not.
    • Jossed.
  • Malekith and Kurse - They're the bad guys. This goes without saying.
    • Confirmed.
  • Lady Sif - It was said that they were going to expand her relationship with Thor. All that expanding could lead up to her death, sacrificing herself to save Thor and Asgard, therefore making Thor's reaction to it all the more believable. Her death will also get her out of the way of Thor and Jane's relationship (if Jane doesn't die as well...poor Thor...).
    • Jossed.
  • The Warriors Three - Either one member, two, or all three of them. More angst for Thor.
    • Jossed.
  • Frigga - Losing his mother would be a boatload of angst, and she's the only person that Loki still cares about. What better way to get Cain and Abel to work together than revenge for dear old mother?
    • Confirmed.
  • Odin - In a shocking twist, the King of Asgard could die, leaving Thor to take his place. If they follow the original arc including the war with Surtur, this is entirely in line with comic events.
    • We have no clue whether this is confirmed or Jossed. Loki's disguised as him and is sitting on the throne, but that doesn't mean Odin's dead.
      • Although Loki was implied to have pulled a Kill and Replace on Odin, this implication was ignored by the crew of Thor: Ragnarok, who instead had Loki put Odin into a retirement home. So jossed.

Jane will be looked down upon by the Asgardians.
Due to being a mortal, and will think she's weak to be able to defend herself. But she'll prove them wrong. Though the Warriors Three will be an exception, as they know how much Thor cares for her (plus they met her in the first movie).
  • Kind of true. Odin definitely sets the vibe when comparing her to a "goat on a banquet table" and the healers don't seem too care so much. Averted by Frigga, who is very kind.

Jane and Loki will have a conversation about science and magic.
Because they're both experts of those two fields, Jane's interested in them due to her research, and although it's been said that magic and science are the same thing for Asgardians, it's not clear how Loki's powers fit with that statement. As a bonus, they might need to use or combine both at some point to fight against Malekith.
  • Loki and Jane's interactions are limited due to her weakened state from the Aether.

The film will drop a few hints about a certain somebody else having "survived"
The trailers talk about things that have survived from before the universe. Plus, he's such an epic character and needs redemption from a certain other film. He'd make a great crossover villain.
  • Sadly, this is legally bared as long as the FF rights are gone. Galactus is a no go.

Doctor Strange will cameo in the movie
That "something strange" thing they mentioned about the Thor movie just asked for it.
  • Jossed, although Captain America shows up (sort of).

All of the Infinity Gems are playing double duty
The end seen with Sif, Volstagg and the Collecter reveals the Tesserect (which is also the Cosmic Cube) is one of the Infinity Stones. Therefore, the other 5 Stones are also either well known powerful items, or part of them (such as part of the Ultimate Nullifier, or the Orb of Agamatto)

    Post-Release Theories 

The Jotunheim's beast will end up in Arendelle
And he will play fetch with Happy Fun Marshmallow and be happy forever.

Loki is still working for Thanos.
It was Thanos' plan to make Loki the king of Asgard. He took Loki off the Dark World, brought him back to Asgard, took care of Odin (Either killed him or imprisoned him somewhere.), and Loki took Odin's throne. Now he has the tesseract, and if speculation is right, the Aether too.
  • Jossed.

Ian's last name is Turner
  • Ian Turner. The intern's intern.
    • Jossed. His last name is Boothby.

Malekith is another pawn/servant of Thanos
To tie in what'll be happening in the second Avengers movie. Malekith, much like Loki, would be provided strength from an anonymous benefactor. And that would be Thanos.
  • In that case, the Other will probably show, either part way through the movie to remind Malekith of their deal (like he did with Loki in Avengers), or will appear in The Stinger to retrieve something of his to give to Thanos.
  • Wouldn't that be a bit repetitive? If Malekith has to be a pawn, let him the pawn of some other cosmic horror (it's not as if Marvel was lacking them), and then both ones would be rivals, or an evil band.
  • Jossed.

Loki learned Ta-DA! and other less Asgardian forms of speech from Hawkeye.
It just seems like his speech was much less formal and stylized in this movie than other Asgardians and he did spent a whole movie hanging around the snarky archer.
  • Or it may be that the writers of Thor 2 were less concerned with linguistics than they were with dropping in one-liners. A friend of this troper posits that the word choices in Thor 1 (excuse the terminology, but it's shorthand) were more rooted in Old Norse, whereas Thor 2 offers more Latin-sourced verbiage. (She admits she can't substantiate that right now, but it's an interesting notion; the Genre Shift from Science Fantasy to Space Opera might explain it, if true.)
  • Or he learned it from hanging around/spying on earth people in general.
    • Probably not, then he would've used it in The Avengers. As Eric said: "It's not fun having a mad god in your brain." Maybe the sceptre is a back-and-forth telepathic connection, with control by the wielder and unintentional influence from the controlled. That might also explain the snarky Captain America impression, if that's how Hawkeye thinks of Steve.

Loki was imprisoned on Asgard with no resistance
He figured if anyone could protect him from Thanos's wrath, it's Odin.
  • This could be the reason he faked his death; to get away from Thanos.

Beta Ray Bill will be in the sequel to this film (Thor 3 or whatever).
And hopefully, in the stinger for this one.
  • Jossed for the stinger.

Loki will become Tommy Wiseau after this movie.
Look at that hairstyle...
  • It's a joke but Jossed.

Malekith is a Time Lord.
Had to be said.
  • You, fellow troper, get a shiny new internet for that. :)
  • In a manner of speaking...he could be. After all, he was asleep for eons in his ship, not aging, and woke up in a completely different time to his own. Plus, the Earth parts of the movie take place around England rather than the usual United States, and the nexus of the Convergence occurs in Greenwich: the centre of time on Earth temporarily also becomes the centre of Relative Dimensions In Space.

Richard is (or will be) someone significant in the future.
If only because Chris O'Dowd seems an odd casting choice for such a small role.

Loki's status at the end of this movie is his way of protecting himself against Thanos.
Loki is now disguising himself as Odin as a means to hide and potentially protect himself in case Thanos comes back for him because of his failure in Avengers. If Thanos or his majordomo show up demanding the Tessaract, he's in a position to just give it to them. It's safe to say his bases are well covered now.

Odin isn't dead
Loki isn't powerful enough to kill him. He only disguised himself as the guard in order to trick Odin into believing he was dead, and later disguises himself as Odin in order to see what Thor was going to do (Odin was somewhere else when this happened). As for what his next motives are...we'll have to wait until Thor 3 for that.
  • It wouldn't be like Marvel to kill Odin off screen.
  • Alternatively, he's just entered the Odinsleep. He expended a lot of energy (along with the rest of the Asgardians) driving back the Dark Elves.
    • Theory: he entered it soon after guard!Loki reported his "death" or Loki revealed himself and confronted him and Odin is so exhausted he falls asleep during this and instead of calling for help like in the first movie Loki just stashes him away somewhere and takes the throne.
  • Alternatively, five seconds after the final frame Loki hears the following words: "Son, get off my throne".
    • *troper laughs uncontrollably*
  • Thor: Ragnarok: Confirmed, Loki put him in a retirement home in New York.

Loki is actively working against Thanos
The deal Loki had with Thanos was that he would retrieve the Tesseract in return for being granted Earth. Since Volstagg and Sif are aware the Tesseract is an Infinity Stone, then it is logical that Loki would be as well. So he is aware that Thanos is trying to gather them. When Sif and Volstagg take the Aether to the Collector, they are presumably acting on Odin(Loki)'s orders. Meaning that Loki is trying to separate the Stones.
  • Loki is now known to be responsible (either directly or indirectly) for moving no less than half of the six Infinity Stones out of Thanos' grasp. The Tesseract is locked safely away in one of Asgard's most secure vaults, along with one of the two known Infinity Gauntlets (shame that Thanos has the other). The Aether was given to the Collector, whom probably has lots of places to hide such a small container. He also seems rich enough to have lots of security that can at least slow Thanos down while the Collector calls someone stronger than himself for help. Having the Aether also caused the Collector to seek the other Stones, which resulted in the Power Stone being safeguarded by the Nova Corps at the end of the events in Guardians of the Galaxy. Perhaps that one wasn't intended by Loki's plans, but the more Stones he can keep away from Thanos, the better. And last but not least, the Mind Stone was left behind on Midgard in the Chitauri Scepter when Loki was defeated, possibly on purpose. This leaves Thanos with a current score of zero Infinity Stones. Loki is also in a prime position as Asgard's King to attempt to keep Thanos away from the last two.
    Why would Loki be so determined to thwart Thanos? Well he probably isn't too pleased with all the torture it's implied he was subjected to. And as a certain Star Lord put it, he's "one of the idiots who lives in the universe," and a universe ruled by Thanos probably wouldn't be a very good place for Loki to go about his usual mischievous business.
  • Jossed. Ragnarok shows he neglected his duties as king.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will have to deal with the Ice Troll loose in London
It has already been announced that there will be a crossover episode where “In the aftermath of the events chronicled in the feature film Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, Coulson and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pick up the pieces–one of which threatens to destroy a member of the team.”
  • That Ice troll is awesome. He's helping London with its infestation of pigeons.FitzSimmons will want to keep it as a pet.
    • Jossed. They were dealing with an Asgardian prisoner which escaped during the Dark Elf attack.

Loki died by Kurse's hand and was brought back to life
All evidence so far shows that Loki's illusions are intangible: how could Thor hold his body as he "died" if he was faking that massive wound? If he died, and somehow Thanos showed up and offered him the chance to come back if he would help Thanos retrieve the Infinity Gems, or maybe him and Thanos had it planned all along from the very beginning. Or maybe Loki learnt something about coming back from the dead on his journey into mystery in-between Thor and The Avengers.
  • Another option, and this one is going on some assumptions about the universe, is that Loki died and Hel brought him back. Assuming that Loki's children exist in this universe (and Sleipnir appeared back in Thor), it is a possibility that she could have come into play. It just seems to make a bit more sense than Thanos bringing Loki back. When Loki tells Kurse, "See you in Hel, monster!", he was referring Norse underworld, and not the Christian hell. It seems like the writers included that line on purpose as a possible clue to how Loki cheated death.
  • Or he didn't die but did make the wound look worse than it was and/or faked his death quickly and then healed himself as soon as Thor left.

Loki was being honest about liking Jane, at least somewhat
Granted, he didn't seem to have that high of an opinion on humans in the past, but he did fling her out of the way of the gravity grenade and almost got killed himself in the process. He made the action look far too instinctive to be part of a carefully-constructed plan to manipulate anyone. Basically, that act was most likely a genuine reaction on his part.

Odin gave the throne to Loki.
One of the thing we know about Odin is that he believes in results. He knows he needs an heir, and Thor isn't cut out for it, and probably already guessed that Thor no longer wanted it. Now, hate Loki though he may, he realized that Loki would at least have a vested interest in protecting Asgard if he was its king. Overall, Loki has the potential to be a truly great king. So, Odin let Loki take on his form to make the transition of power work. Wouldn't the real twist be if Loki didn't do anything unsavory to Odin, but was allowed by him to literally take his place on the throne?
  • Why the masquerade do you ask? Why doesn't Loki gloat about it? Here's a simulation: "Hey everyone! You thought I was your king, but I'm actually your greatest war criminal! And now I have the throne! And there's nothing you can do about it! Nyah nyah nyah!" *is immediately impaled by 10,000 Asgardian spears*
  • Thor: Ragnarok: Jossed.

Odin is dead.
Loki killed him immediately after that scene in the throne room, hence the smirk. This article says it could go either way.

Thor knows that Odin is really Loki and is just biding his time to strike
Thor was able to see through Loki's illusion while visiting him in his cell.
  • That was under different circumstances though, and Thor suspected an illusion of some sort from Loki. He would have no reason to suspect one in that situation.
  • Thor: Ragnarok: Jossed.

With the current political situation in Asgard, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's true rise of the supervillains will begin.
Since Loki now controls Asgard, he is in a position to either search for the remaining Infinity Stones for Thanos and/or prepare to fight against him. To that end, Loki would need to make sure Thor and the Avengers will not move against him until he is ready to crush them, or call upon them for help when he deems them useful. To that end, a sure way of doing that would be to create various powerful supervillains that would occupy his brother, The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.. For instance, Loki could create Thor's more earthbound villains in his Rogues Gallery like The Absorbing Man, Mr. Hyde and The Wrecker. In addition, Loki could seek out The Red Skull and send him back to Earth with seed money to start his schemes of world domination to keep Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. busy. Additionally, Loki could spring The Leader to push him to hound the Hulk for any scheme he would have in mind.
  • Loki would probably have his hands full ruling Asgard and such, plus he has what he wants, why should he bother messing about with the Midgardians? And I think the next Avengers movie shows they'll have plenty of opponents without Loki's help.
  • Jossed.

This is still a part of Loki's plan.
After the Avengers, Loki was sent to Asgard as a prisoner. He managed to use the circumstances (the dark elves attack)to his favor. Now, as king of Asgard, he can work freely to obtain the Infinity Gems for Thanos and will be with Thanos during the Avengers 3 (occupying the role Mephisto had during the Infinity Gauntlet series).
  • Jossed. He tries to kill Thanos in Infinity War.

The Dark Elves aren't the only ones who lived before the universe
There was also a race of Humanoid Aliens. They were mostly killed when the universe started, but there is one Last of His Kind to survive. Just one.
  • As stated above, this is legally barred as long as the FF rights are gone. Galactus is a no go.

Someone will see through Loki's illusion as Odin
Loki will eventually slip up and his illusion as Odin will fade. This will prompt him to attempt to flee Asgard, possibly causing a manhunt to find him in the next Thor movie.
  • Thor: Ragnarok: Confirned-ish, Thor eventually figures out that Odin is actually Loki. He doesn’t attempt to flee though.

Odin did die, but Loki didn't kill him.
Okay, in the first movie Loki lied and told Thor that the stress of everything that had happened was too much for Odin, and he died. Now at the end of Dark World, Odin has lost his wife, and believes he has lost a son. This proved too much for the Allfather to bear, and he passed away. Loki was simply in the right place to take advantage of this. Add that since we didn't see the soldier/Loki telling Odin who had died and only see him assuming that it was Loki, it's possible that the soldier/Loki told Odin that it was Thor who had died which would have been more devastating to him than if he thought Loki had died.
  • But if Loki was the soldier then that means he did kill his father.
    • Why would it mean he did it himself?
      • By delivering the last bit of bad news to Odin, Loki would have caused the Allfather's demise in this scenario.
  • Thor: Ragnarok: Jossed.

Collector is collecting the Infinity Stones to stop Galactus.
The Council of Elders used Infinity Gems on Galactus in the mainstream universe once. Thanos can be the first arch-villain through Phase One to Phase Three or Four, and by the time they may have got back the rights of FF, so Galactus can be the next.
  • As stated above, this is legally barred as long as the FF rights are gone. Galactus is a no go (and this is the third time he's been mentioned on this page; what part of "There is no way 20th Century Fox will be giving up the film rights to the Fantastic Four while the Marvel Cinematic Universe is making so much money" do people not understand?).
  • Plus, the Collector doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would acquire things for reasons other than his own satisfaction.

Other Infinity Gems may already be around
We have seen two, there are 4 more to go. Sure, the next movies will likely introduce new ones. But, as those are films, I wouldn't dismiss the chance that some object already seen in the cinematic universe has been an infinity gem all along. My bet is on "Gravitonium".
  • Confirmed as of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Loki's scepter had the Mind Stone.

Loki didn't fake his death, and he didn't kill Odin. Odin sacrificed himself to resurrect Loki.
It seems unlikely that Loki has the power, or, ultimately, the will to kill Odin. So how did he come to replace him? This is how: Loki does really die in the battle against Kurse. When Loki's body is brought to Odin, Odin uses his magic to see what happened in Svartalfheim, so he knows that in the end Loki acted honorably. He also finds out there's still a tiny spark of life left in Loki, so if he acts quickly, he could resurrect Loki. However, Odin's power is depleted because of the recent fight against the Dark Elves, and, more importantly, he's still devastated over the death of Frigga. He doesn't want to lose his adopted son on top of his wife. But due to Odin's weakened state, using his power to resurrect Loki would cause Odin himself to die. Since Loki's sacrifice has redeemed him in Odin's eyes, and since he longs to be with Frigga, Odin decides to sacrifice himself to revive Loki. However, even though Loki did indeed act honorably while working with his brother, that doesn't mean he's given up his dreams of becoming king. When Loki wakes up and sees the dead Odin beside him, he realizes what a great opportunity he's been given. He hides Odin's body and assumes his place on the throne of Asgard.

The popularity of Thor will lead to many people converting to Germanic Neo-Paganism
One of the students in the library towards the end of the film recognizes Thor, and other works in the Marvel Cinematic Universe make it clear that the heroes in the Avengers are well known and popular. Thor is a god, even if he doesn't want to be worshiped, there are still works on how people worshiped the Asgardians back in the past, and there are, currently, neo-pagan movements in the 21st century such as Asatru. Thor's actions in New York and London will spark a craze in people converting to these religions (and maybe individual neo-pagan leaders will use Thor's popularity and piggyback off that).
  • Something like that happened some years ago in comics. During Dan Jurgens run, Asgard left its usual other dimension and became a city in the sky, floating over New York. The Asgardian gods took an active role in changing the world, and the churchs and worshiping were a part of their rule, conflicting with the regular religions. A huge "What Do You Mean, It's Not Political?" ensued, and it was all undone with time travel
  • Semi-confirmed in-Universe. The followup episode "The Well", on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., confirmed a rise in Norse Paganism

That TV reporter at Stonehenge is also Loki.
The Einherjar guard who reports to Odin kinda sounds like him. The TV reporter resembles him. Loki's been pulling more strings than we thought.

Loki suffers from comparable mental issues to Sergeant Bothari.
Think about it, when Loki first appears he is a tragic figure, and the main reason for his Sanity Slippage is the loss of his Asgardian identity. In The Avengers, however, much of this characterisation has been done away with. Where previously he explicitly states that he never wanted the throne he is now trying to conquer worlds and his characterisation has shifted from Affably Evil to Faux Affably Evil monster. This could be explained as Character Development, but his abrupt snapback to something like his original characterisation in Thor: The Dark World would suggest otherwise. He appears to act as those around him expect him to act - not the way they want him to act, exactly, but he acts as those he works for and with expect him to. Thanos expects a conqueror, so Loki becomes one. Thor expects his annoying little brother, so that is what Loki becomes despite their interactions in the first Thor movie having been markedly different.
  • The change in the Avengers is because Loki was being mind-controlled by Thanos.

Loki is a Draco in Leather Pants in-universe.
Despite all their wickedness, there will be people who think it is a good guy or agree with him.

Jane's strength was being enhanced by the Aether when she slapped Thor and Loki
Lots of people joke about how Jane shouldn't have been able to hurt Thor or Loki at all when she slapped them due to her being mere human and they Asgardians, but they forget that on both occasions Jane was being possessed by the Aether. It's possible that the Aether has the ability to empower anything that it occupies; even a normal human's strength and speed may be significantly increased by it.

Odin was killed, but wasn't killed by Loki.
Odin was killed by another villain.
  • Options:
    • Amora the Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner.
    • Surtur
    • Lorelei
    • Karnilla, the Norn Queen
    • The Midgard Serpent
    • Hela
    • Fenrir.
  • Thor: Ragnarok: Jossed.

How Loki faked his death.
He impaled Kurse...but the blade didn't go all the way through. Instead Loki created the illusion of it going all the way, thus tricking both Thor and Kurse at the same time. He knew Kurse would try to kill him in retaliation. So the blade that goes through him? Wasn't a blade at all, but an illusion of one.

Loki is impersonating Odin at his request, a la Severus Snape.
Odin never got to complete the Odin sleep, and still needs rest, so he asked Loki to take the throne for a while so the people of Asgard would not know he was vulnerable. Whether Loki does this without an ulterior motive is a different story.

Heimdall will end up taking the throne of Asgard.
Asgard's in bad shape right now. There's marauders and bandits running around the nine worlds, the Dark Elves have killed Queen Frigga and tore up Asgard something fierce, and now the future of Asgard's government is in question. Thor has grown out of his Jerk Jock phase, but now he's renounced the throne in order to better protect the Nine Realms. Loki has tried to commit genocide on one planet, has tried to enslave another planet, and has pissed off everyone in Asgard. Odin is getting older, and losing his wife has seriously affected his judgement (also, he might be dead or imprisoned somewhere). So, what's going to happen to Asgard in Thor 3? It's likely that Heimdall will take command.

The Watsonian reason is that Heimdall is a mighty warrior, respected and feared by everyone in Asgard- there's a reason he guards the Bifrost (he did stab a spaceship to death, after all). He's loyal and wise, someone that Thor can trust. Heimdall is incorruptible and loyal, but not to the point of stupidity. In the first movie, when Thor demands that Heimdall open the bridge, Heimdall obeys, since Thor is the crown prince. Then, he immediately notifies Odin, because Thor is being a dumbass. In the second film, he assists Thor in tricking Odin, because Odin's too blinded with grief to properly handle the situation. After doing so, he surrenders, because Odin is still the king.

The Doylist reason is that Heimdall is the only high ranking Asgardian we've met who isn't Thor, Odin, or Loki. There doesn't seem to be a Baldur in this universe, and there's only been a cameo or two of Tyr. No one else really carries the authority that Heimdall has, and it's not likely that they would introduce a new character just to fill the empty throne.

  • In the first movie, Heimdall obeyed Thor's order to "tell no one where they have gone" since he also wants to know how those Frost Giants slipped past his watch. It was Loki who ordered a servant to tell Odin where they were going, as he later complains to Sif and the Warriors Three that the servant had taken far too long to do such a simple task. And in the second film, Heimdall summons Odin to the observatory to inform him there is treason afoot. When asked whose, Heimdall draws his sword and looks very ready to attack as he declares "Mine!" but before that can go any farther (or he can surrender) they are interrupted by guards bringing news that Jane has been taken from her chambers. He seems more loyal to Thor than Odin, or at least willing to turn a blind eye to acts against his king*  when he believes his king is in the wrong than anything.
  • Jossed.

What really (could have) happened to Odin
Midway through the film, when attempting to get Jane out of Asgard, Heimdall helps distract Odin by confessing to his own treason. A reasonable and logical extension of this, then, is to have Heimdall removed from his post, and then the Bifrost must be inspected. If Heimdall can no longer be trusted, who's to say he didn't sabotage it? So Odin goes down to inspect it, and takes a small group of 3-4 guards (including a disguised Loki). While they are inspecting the Bifrost, Malekith begins to unleash the Aether's power. We even see it starting to creep into Asgard and begin to warp Heimdall's Observatory. The other guards are either killed by, or (less likely) flee from this terrifying force. Odin attempts to halt its advance with his own power, but his age and recent grief weakens him and the Aether manages to inflict unnatural wounds on him. Loki can only watch helplessly, unable to do anything even if he wanted to, because it's a fleeping Infinity Stone he's looking at. Then Thor manages to beat Malekith and the Aether stops. Odin is either dead or alive yet injured. If he's alive, then it's unlikely Asgard's healers can treat him*  so Loki convinces him to go and search the realms for a cure, and leave the throne to his heir. Alternately if Odin is dead then Loki could just push the body off the Rainbow Bridge and let it fall where no one will find it. Either way, the end result is that Loki turns himself into Odin and walks away with Gungnir in hand, telling any who asks that the guards who came with him were all lost to the Aether and he was lucky to have escaped unharmed.

Odin is now imprisoned in Loki's cell
It'd appeal to Loki's sense of irony to knock his father out and toss him into the same cell he'd been confined in himself, with an illusion laid over him to look like Loki. Odin can try to convince the guards that he's the All-Father as much as he likes: they'll never believe he's not just Loki attempting to trick them.

Loki didn't plan to take the throne
Loki was hurt by both Odin and Thor saying that they wouldn't mind killing him. So he faked his death in front of Thor, wanting to see his true reaction. Satisfied with that, he did the same with Odin. Only then he realized how easy it would be for him to seize the opportunity and take the throne. Loki isn't that much of a Manipulative Bastard or The Chessmaster, he's more an Opportunistic Bastard.

Odin wouldn't have Loki executed.
Odin claims that he would have had Loki executed if Frigga didn't beg to spare him, but as king, if Odin really wanted to have Loki killed, he just could have done it. So Frigga just gave him an excuse to keep him alive. In Ragnarok, Odin makes clear that he loves both of his sons and it seems very genuine.

The Loki that replaced Odin was actually the 2012 Loki
In Avengers: Endgame, 2012 Loki gets away with the Space Stone. Maybe he went to Asgard, and replaced Odin after the regular Loki was killed for real by the Dark Elves.
  • After Loki, this is looking pretty jossed.

The Dark Elves and the Frost Giants share a common origin.
The Dark Elves were the guardians of the Aether, and they evidently knew how to infuse it into their soldiers, as demonstrated in the intro.

But what if they could attain more than just setting a guy in fire? After Avengers: Infinity War, we now know that the Aether is the natural state of the Reality Stone. When manipulated, said stone was capable of faking environments and immediately transforming one thing into another.

Doesn't that remind you of Loki's skillset?

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