The latest Loki season 2 trailer features new look at a deep-cut Thor villain

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Marvel reintroduces one of its most violent villains in Loki season 2

Loki
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Marvel Studios’ brand new trailer for Loki season 2 gives us a further glimpse at what looks like to be a darker and more turbulent installment with the introduction of famed Marvel villain, the Zaniac.

Marvel has released a teaser for its upcoming second season of Loki featuring a new look at everyone’s favorite god of mischief, familiar faces such as Sylvie, and a quick glance at this season's new extraterrestrial villain.

During the trailer we see a snippet of what looks like a movie premiere attended by a character played by actor Rafeal Casal who stands in front of a fan holding a sign reading, "Marry me Brad Wolfe". In the distance stands a blurry billboard featuring a giant hulk-like creature for the in-universe movie 'The Zaniac' starring Brad Wolfe. 

But who is Marvel’s Zaniac? The green-skinned villain, later known as ‘Zaniac’, was first introduced in a Thor comic as a swarm of parasitic creatures from the dark dimension, sent to Earth by the bigger and badder Dormammu. The Zaniac first landed in 19th century London where he would possess outcast Tom Malverne, a disfigured misanthropic angry at the world for his mistreatment, transforming him into none other than the world's most prolific serial killer Jack the Ripper. 

Malverne’s already sociopathic and misogynistic tendencies were heightened by the Zaniac’s possession, and sent him on a murderous rampage that we know in the real world as the 1888 Whitechapel killings by the still unnamed Ripper.

So, what does this mean for the upcoming season? From the trailer, fans are speculating that Casal will be playing Brad Wolfe, the actor turned serial killer who in an ‘80s Thor comic starred as the Zaniac. During filming, Wolfe became infected by the real Zaniac which prompted him, like his predecessor Jack the Ripper, to attack an array of innocent women until Thor stopped him. 

It is unclear if Casal’s Wolfe will follow the same storyline as the comic’s character or if Jack the Ripper himself will make an appearance during one of Loki’s "timeslipping" sequences shown in the trailer. 

Megan Garside
Megan Garside
Junior Social Media Editor, GamesRadar+

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.