Marvel Rivalsis barreling towards the end of its first season. During this period comes plenty of exciting announcements, with some tying up the current season and others foreshadowing the next. Among the latest drops of information was the reveal of two new skins coming toMarvel Rivals, which both have interesting origins in the Marvel Universe.
Skins are a huge aspect of many live service games, and this goes doubly so for a hero shooter likeMarvel Rivals. With its connection to other Marvel projects, it’s no surprise that someMarvel Rivalsskins have doubled as MCU tie-ins. Others pull directly from the comics, with classic costumes and multiverse stories both receiving plenty of love. Storm and Loki’s newly-revealed skins have a clear connection being teased, and Loki’s upcoming “Presidential Attire” skin could offer a hint of the game’s future to eagle-eyed fans.
Loki’s Presidential Attire Skin Explained
President Loki’s Marvel Comics Origins
Since President Loki was considered iconic enough to receive a skin in a game as big asMarvel Rivals, one would naturally assume he plays quite a big role. On the contrary, President Loki began less as a character, and more as a concept. Furthermore, this concept has only been around for a little over ten years. This amounts to a pretty short-lived existence in the grand scheme ofMarvel Comics, but the President of Mischief was the talk of the town when he originally made his debut.
Vote Lokiwas a four-part miniseries which quickly gained attention for its obvious satire of the 2016 Presidential Election, and appropriately focused on Loki launching a controversial presidential campaign of his own. Loki was able to manipulate the public into loving him for a short time, but as one might expect, the God of Lies eventually crashed and burned after his schemes came to light.
President Loki’s Appearance on Disney+
Despite his failure at the ballot box, Loki’s run for office has earned a legacy that far eclipsed its comic origins. As with many Marvel characters, stories that become classic in the comics eventually earn the right to be adapted for the big screen. Although it would be difficult for the MCU to capture exactly what worked aboutVote Loki, theLokiTV seriesdid try to go for the next best thing.
Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal of Loki in the MCUhas become synonymous with the character for many fans, and the character’s eponymous Disney+ series remains one of the most acclaimed on the platform.Vote Lokifeatures a depiction of the character who bears a striking resemblance to Hiddleston, so it’s no wonder that the MCU would eventually pay this favor forward. Leaving behind his days on the page, President Loki made his debut as a fully-formed character in Episode 5 ofLoki, titled “Journey into Mystery”.
As opposed toVote Loki’s satirical take on the main universe’s Loki, President Loki as seen on Disney+ is portrayed as a variant from an alternate universe. In fact, President Loki appears to be even more duplicitous than hisSacred Timelinecounterpart, and stands as a representation of what the now-reformed Loki left behind. Similar to the short runtime ofVote Loki, President Loki doesn’t stick around for very long, and more or less serves as an extended cameo.
What President Loki Could Mean for Season 2 of Marvel Rivals
Loki’s “Presidential Attire” skin arrives on March 14, alongside Storm’s “Goddess of Thunder” skin. They are being paired together due to their shared ties to Asgard, and one might assume at first glance that this is nothing more than another playful reference. However, the details of Loki’s presidential reveal could hint at thetheme ofMarvel RivalsSeason 2. Loki takes up the left side of the promotional graphic, and if one looks closely they can spot the recognizable logo of the Hellfire Gala stamped right on his poster.
The Hellfire Gala is also subtly referenced in the story conclusion ofMarvel RivalsSeason 1, with Doom suggesting it will be his next destination.Marvel Rivalsmap leaksseem to coincide with this, thanks to the rumor that Krakoa and Arakko will be added soon. With all of this in mind, President Loki’s apparent ties to the potentially upcoming Hellfire Gala should have fans watching closely for how the God of Mischief may play a role in Season 2.
