We’ve come to expect the unexpected on Marvel Studios’ Loki. Different timelines, crazy callbacks, multiple variants, and, most recently, an alligator with horns. The character, referred to as “Alligator Loki,” was introduced in the post-credits sequence of Loki’s fourth episode, “The Nexus Event,” but came to the forefront in episode five, “Journey Into Mystery.” With a new fan favourite now firmly established, the team behind the show spoke about the standout character, from what he looked like before to how he acted on set — and whether or not he is, in fact, a Loki.
“I know, but I want people to wonder,” Loki head writer Michael Waldron said to Marvel.com. “I want that to be the next great Marvel debate. Is Alligator Loki really a Loki or not?” OK, so we won’t get an answer to that question, but other questions are answered in the interview. Such as: since Alligator Loki is not inspired by any comic book, where did the idea come from?
“We were talking about [how] we want to meet many different versions of Loki in this show,” Waldron said. “I was just like, there should be an Alligator Loki. And it’s like, well, why? Because he’s green.” That’s a sentiment Loki actor himself, Tom Hiddleston, found very funny. “The question is, ‘Is he really Loki? Or is he just green?’” Hiddleston told Marvel. “It’s such a funny question that [the Lokis] all bicker about. One thing about Loki is that Loki loves to be right. And they all have a different opinion about this alligator.”
And though green might have been the main reason for Alligator Loki’s existence, it wasn’t like that on set. On set, before the character was created in CGI, he was represented by blue stuffed alligator. With googly eyes. Here’s a photo.
Happy Episode Five “Journey into Mystery” @LokiOfficial day! Here is one the biggest divas and the most demanding actor I’ve ever had to work with, taking a break from his reign of terror to relax in his chair #alligatorloki #loki pic.twitter.com/3WH57yt0Bz
— Kate Herron (@iamkateherron) July 7, 2021
Once that was done it just came down to what, exactly, does Alligator Loki look like? And according to Loki director Kate Herron, the answer wasn’t immediately obvious and multiple versions were designed. “We had some early versions when we were doing visual effects that probably were a bit too cute, in the sense of it was a bit more like a cartoony kind of alligator,” Herron said. “But it just became funnier and funnier the more it looked like a real alligator that just happened to be wearing the horns. That was the sweet spot. Once we landed in that spot where it felt like a real alligator, but with a kind of slightly jaunty horns on, that’s where we were like, ‘Oh, there he is.’”
There he is indeed. Chances are we won’t see Alligator Loki in next week’s finale episode — but if there are more seasons or more time spent with some of the variants, maybe he could bite some more hands off at some point. “It’s so stupid, but it also makes total sense,” Waldron said. “You almost have to take it seriously, like maybe he is [a Loki]? Why shouldn’t there be an alligator version of Loki? For all we know, that’s an alligator universe or whatever. It’s just the sort of irreverent thing that, in this show, we play straight and make the audience take it seriously.”
Well, we seriously love the little rascal. Head over to Marvel.com for more on Alligator Loki and the other variant Lokis too.