Loki season 2 introduces the character Brad Wolfe, an in-universe actor who plays Zaniac. For those wondering who Zaniac is in the TV show and also in the comics, here’s the full explanation.
Who are Zaniac and Brad Wolfe in the Loki season 2 TV show?
Rafael Casal’s Hunter X-5 abandons the TVA and takes up a life as an actor named Brad Wolfe, who stars in a new film titled Zaniac.
Loki season 2 uses Brad Wolfe, aka Zaniac, from the comics in a very interesting way. In it, Hunter X-5 abandons his mission to prune branched timelines and goes on to live as a movie star named Brad Wolfe in the 70s on the Sacred Timeline. However, he gets picked up by Mobius and Loki while attending the premiere of his new movie “Zaniac.”
As explained by Hunter X-5, his film is an “elevated horror thriller” that’s supposedly about a serial killer named Zaniac. This is how Loki season 2 brings the comics to life.
Who are Zaniac and Brad Wolfe in the Marvel comics?
In the comics, Brad Wolfe was a child abused by his mother who grew up to become an actor. He accepted the role of Zaniac in a film and eventually became a villain who fought Thor.
He first appeared in Thor #319 in 1982. Starring as the misogynistic serial killer Zaniac in a slasher film of the same name, Wolfe wore a green costume and make-up to look vicious. But while filming, he ended up near an accidental explosion that released residual radiation from The Manhattan Project. It mutated him, drove him mad, and gave him the ability to throw energy knives along with superhuman strength.
After that incident, Wolfe started to think of himself as Zaniac, relating the character’s backstory to his own childhood abuse. Taking up Zaniac’s identity in real life, he almost went on a killing spree, but Thor intervened and saved the day.
While this story may not come to fruition in Loki season 2, episode 2 still gives a nice nod to Zaniac’s origin from the comics.
For more Loki season 2 updates, find out more about Ouroboros.
