Following Mark Ruffalo’s revelation that Bruce Banner will soon pass the torch to his cousin in She-Hulk, Loki star Tom Hiddleston has now stepped forward to state the unthinkable, that he too will eventually hand the mantle over to someone else. In a conversation with Variety, Hiddleston described himself as a “temporary torchbearer.” Words that will undoubtedly have many a Marvel fan screaming into the air in desperation of grief.

“I’m a temporary torchbearer. I’ve always thought that. It’s a great role. It’s an archetype, the trickster god, the agent of chaos. I’m just here interpreting that for the time being. Loki has been here for centuries and will be here for centuries more and I’m just stepping into that silhouette for now.”

While perhaps not as definitive as Ruffalo’s handing over of The Hulk to She-Hulk lead Tatiana Maslany, Tom Hiddleston certainly sounds like he has come to terms with the idea that his tenure as Loki will eventually come to an end. However, it might not be for a century.

The question then becomes, who could take over from Tom Hiddleston as the God of Mischief? Well, the recent Disney+ series Loki could offer some clues, with the character coming face-to-face with various variants of himself from across the Marvel multiverse. Joined on his adventure by Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie, could we see this fan-favorite variant take over from Hiddleston in Loki Season 2? Or will Alligator Loki be given the honor of taking the torch from Tom Hiddleston?

An even more crucial question presents itself, however. Now that Loki has returned from the dead many times, how could the character be retired in a satisfying and definitive way?

Bruce Banner Will Pass the Torch to Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk

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Marvel Studios

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has now been part of the cinematic tapestry for over a decade, and with that, many of the original actors are leaving their roles behind. With the likes of such Marvel staples as Tony Stark and Steve Rogers fading into the background, it is undoubtedly only a matter of time before others follow suit.

One such character reportedly set to do just this is Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, with the actor recently revealing that he will step aside and make way for She-Hulk in the upcoming series. “Tatiana Maslany is freaking legendary as the She-Hulk. I’m passing the banner onto her,” Ruffalo said. “Yeah, there’s some really good, funny, cool, long, long scenes between the Professor and her. We’ve never really seen the Hulk interact with people the way he does in that show. It will be really interesting.”

Tom Hiddleston’s Loki isn’t going anywhere just yet, though, with the actor due to reprise the role for Loki Season 2. Not much is yet known about the project, but it is expected to follow Loki once again as he continues to explore the madness of the multiverse. The series will consist of six episodes and will be written by Eric Martin, with duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead directing the majority of episodes.