Brand new Avengers 4 set photos tease a pretty significant flashback as several images showcase Loki with a muzzle firmly fitted on his face.
The last time we saw Loki with the muzzle on was at the end of the first Avengers movie. All of the Avengers assembled including Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, and Bruce Banner to send off Thor and his prisoner, Loki. It also saw Thor take the Tesseract, most likely one of the Infinty Stones to Asgard.
It’s pretty clear from the new photos we will be returning to this time.
New #Avengers set photos show Thor & Iron Man back together! Check out the newest pics: https://t.co/KwvzJdxzEZ
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) November 2, 2017
As you can see Loki has his muzzle on and Thor, back in his classic costume, is escorting him through a pretty secure building with heavily armed soldiers surrounding him.
What does this mean? It most likely has to do with the Tesseract. Thanos will want the Infinity Stone in order to power his Infinity Gauntlet. It’s quite possible Loki might have switched out the Tesseract with his illusion magic before being captured by the Avengers. This flashback scene could explain exactly how Loki manipulates the Avengers right in front of their faces. We know from Thor: The Dark World, Loki’s illusion magic is extremely powerful. He even tricks Thor into thinking he is Odin.
https://youtu.be/WRyGOsbdJd8
Another theory involves Tony Stark. He might have taken a piece of the Tesseract in order to experiment with it. We know Tony becomes highly motivated to protect the planet at all costs. He even moves forward with creating Ultron in order to do so. I wouldn’t put it past Tony Stark to pull a fast one on S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers in order to find a way to protect the planet, especially after his traumatic encounter against the Chitauri.
It’s possible it could also be a time travel piece. Thor has been known to travel back in time using Mjölnir in the comics.
However, my favorite theory, is that Thanos has won. Doctor Strange with the help of Scarlet Witch must reset reality giving the Avengers a second chance against the fearsome Mad Titan. But this time they will have the knowledge of what the Infinity Stones are actually capable of in the hands of Thanos.
What do you think these leaked photos from Avengers 4 indicate?