During a recent interview with Empire, Avengers director Joss Whedon implied that Tom Hiddleston would not be making an appearance as Loki in the sequel.

Asked about replicating some of the first movie’s magical moments, Whedon responded: “Everybody is going to be looking for the Loki-Hulk smash moment, and you’ll be looking for [a quim moment]” (referring to the controversial phrase Loki says to Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow in The Avengers). “First of all, imitating what I did before is the surest way to do it not as well. Second of all, Loki’s not there to say those terrible things.”

A few years back, the name Loki didn’t even register outside the comic-book community. But after Hiddleston’s masterful rendition of the villain in the 2011 movie adaptation of Thor and his follow-up performance in the Avengers, the other-worldly character has become a highlight of Marvel’s recent efforts.

Whedon’s comment raises several questions. Does Loki’s exclusion from Avengers 2 imply he will meet his end in the upcoming Thor sequel, The Dark World? Or will he be written out some other way? Don’t fret yet. This could be misdirection. Loki could pop up in a post-credit clip or even in the movie. The script isn’t finished yet. And Marvel isn’t confirming any news about Loki’s future. So now, let’s be thankful we’ll get to see him and his scene-stealing charisma at least one more time when The Dark World hits theaters Nov. 8.

Avengers 2 is set to be released on May 1, 2015.

Photo: comicvine.com