thorkizilla:

THIS WAS SUCH A PERFECTLY EXECUTED RUNNING STORY THREAD.

Loki’s use of illusion magic is shown throughout the film, it’s used to trick or betray or keep his distance, it shows his vulnerability when Valkyrie caught him, and then finally to show that he’s really there on the ship.

That final moment has all the greater impact because we’ve seen it used throughout the movie and because we realize that it’s tied to showing where Loki’s at. Is he in a manipulative place? A desperate place? A selfish place?  A vulnerable place? We see all of those, demonstrated through whether he’s present or just a magic spell.

And then we see him really there and we understand that he’s not just really there physically, he’s really there emotionally, too.  He’s ready to be something more, to move on from the past, to try being a little more actually present in this life and this family he wants.

The culmination of the use of his illusion magic is used beautifully in this movie, that moment shows everything about how Loki has grown after all the shit they’ve all been through.  And we get it because we’ve seen that he’s a wily sort, he’ll absolutely use that tool to keep his distance when he wants to.

So if he’s really there, then he really chose to be there, in person and for real.