Theory: Gugu Mbatha-Raw To Play Gender And Race Swapped Mr. Alternity in Loki

Donald Edmonds |

Feb 13, 2020

A new rumor details that actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw will play a gender and race swapped version Mr. Alternity, the director of the Time Variance Authority, in the upcoming Loki series on Disney Plus.

In a report from Variety, Mbatha-Raw will play an unspecified role in the upcoming Loki show.

Variety’s Joe Otterson writes, “As with most things Marvel, the exact details of her character are being kept under wraps.”

For those unfamiliar with Mbatha-Raw, she currently plays Hannah Shoenfeld in the streaming series The Morning Show. She also plays Seladon in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix and has done film work for A Wrinkle in Time, playing Mrs. Murry. She also played Plumette in Beauty and the Beast.

Following Variety’s report, Twitter user DanielRPK theorized that Gugu Mbatha-Raw could be playing a race and gender swapped version of Mr. Alternity.

He wrote, “Loki is about time travel. TVA is invloved. Looks like they will capture him at first but then will use him to help get the villain(?) Gugu’s character is consider a co-lead she’s in 6 episodes, she’s “A leader” and they were looking at men for the role as well.”

(1/2) Ok so;

Loki is about time travel. TVA is invloved. Looks like they will capture him at first but then will use him to help them get the villain(?)
Gugu’s character is consider a co-lead she’s in 6 episodes, she’s “A leader” and they were looking at men for the role as well https://t.co/vZdAn7Tla6

— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) February 12, 2020

In a subsequent tweet he added, “Meaning she’s likely playing the leader of TVA, who’s a man in the comics – Mr. Alternity.”
He then speculated that Owen Wilson will be playing Justice Peace, “Own’s character is set to appear in 4 episodes. Likely playing Justice Peace.”

(2/2) Meaning she’s likely playing the leader of TVA, who’s a man in the comics – Mr. Alternity. Own’s character is set to appear in 4 episodes. Likely playing Justice Peace.

— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) February 12, 2020

The Time Variance Authority (TVA)

Last week when the Disney Plus platform aired a 30-second commercial during the Superbowl, we got the briefest look at the Loki series.

In the Super Bowl spot, seen above, we see Tom Hiddleston’s Loki wearing what appears to be some kind of prison uniform. Emblazoned on his chest is what appears to be a heavily stylized acronym that reads TVA, which many believe is short for the Time Variance Authority.

Given this is the only real footage we’ve seen from the show, speculation about the TVA’s involvement has run wild. The organization dates back to Thor #372 that was first published back in 1986.

The organization acts as an enforcement agency tasked with correcting timelines and ensuring temporal interference is kept to a minimum. They are located in a place called the Null-Time Zone which allows them to monitor events across the Multiverse. They do so with faceless clones called Chronomonitors that observe and report on any disruptions that happen across the multitude of timelines. If they do detect a disturbance is passed through chain of command until a Justice is dispatched to eliminate or neutralize the threat to the timeline.

Writer Mark Gruenwald described the agency in Fantastic Four Annual #27, “An infinitely large bureaucracy governing a sizeable number of universes in the ever-expanding universe and dedicated to keeping tabs on every universe in existence.” Interestingly enough, the TVA is a rival to Kang the Conqueror’s Chronopolis, but that’s a story for another day.

One of the main enforcers of the TVA is named Justice Peace, who Daniel RPK believes will be played by Owen Wilson.

Not only does the TVA have enforcers, but it has quite a bit of bureaucratic managers. The Manager in Chief of the agency is Mr. Alternity, who Daniel RPK believes will be played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Gender Bending/Race Swapping Mr. Alternity

If Daniel RPK’s speculation is correct, Mbatha-Raw will be playing quite an obscure character in the comics. Mr. Alternity first appears in Fantastic Four Annual #27 in 1994 and then in Marvel Knights 4 Vol. 1 #18 published in July of 2005.

In Fantastic Four Annual #27, he only has a few panels where he issues orders and instructs his subordinate Mister Mobius.

In Marvel Knights 4 Vol. 1 #18, the second appearance of the character, it is implied that the Time Variance Authority unleashed the son of Kang the Conqueror, Ramades, on the time line. After the Fantastic Four along with Valeria and Franklin Richards defeat Ramades, Mr. Alternity resets the timeline so that most people forget about Ramades attack.

There’s very little information regarding Mr. Alternity from the comics. It’ll be interesting if any of this information actually fleshes out regarding the character and how Mbatha-Raw will factor in to the Loki Disney Plus series.

We’ll be keeping our ears to the ground for more information as it comes.

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