After Endgame Encore, Avengers: Doomsday Needs to Deliver on These New Plot Threads

3 of the 4 new scenes featured in Avengers: Endgame’s Encore rerelease come during or after the credits. But the first is added to the final scene of the original theatrical release. The flashback sequence that shows former Captain America Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) getting their long-awaited dance after Steve returns to the 1940s plays out exactly as it did in Endgame’s original release, but rather than cutting to credits as the couple keep dancing, the Encore scene continues, showing Steve and Peggy get interrupted by someone ringing her doorbell. When Peggy asks the unseen visitor how she can help him, the man replies that he is actually there to offer them his help, with Steve shocked to hear and see Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) adopted brother and Steve’s old enemy. But while the main purpose of the scene is to set up Steve’s return to superhero duty in December’s Avengers: Doomsday, it also highlights the rich storytelling opportunities that film has with Loki and Peggy.

Loki’s clothes and his apparent familiarity with Steve suggest that this is the specific variant of the Norse god that became displaced in time earlier in Endgame before joining the Time Variance Authority in his own TV spin-off. Loki ended with the variant maintaining the infinite timelines of the multiverse in isolation, so most fans had always assumed he would play influential roles in Doomsday and/or next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars, which together conclude Marvel’s ongoing “Multiverse Saga.” But several rumors have suggested that while significant, Loki’s role in Doomsday will be relatively small, with some even saying the character will be killed off yet again. As brief as it is, the Endgame Encore scene emphasizes why the latter option in particular could be a mistake by teasing the dramatic potential of interactions between TVA Loki and Doomsday’s wider ensemble, in addition to the emotional reunion between him and Thor most viewers are expecting to see. Peggy’s role in Doomsday remains even more mysterious, but like Loki one would hope that the film takes advantage of the opportunity to develop the character’s relationships with some unexpected Marvel characters in addition to Steve and her other frequent scene partners.

The Avengers Don’t Know That TVA Loki is a Hero

Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers: Infinity War showed the original timeline’s Loki redeeming himself for his previous villainy and repairing his relationship with Thor before his death. But the only other one of his co-stars from 2012’s The Avengers who that Loki ever crossed paths with again was Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and even their later exchanges were limited to a few brief moments in Ragnarok. The TVA Loki has yet to even see Thor, let alone any of his other former enemies, since his timeline diverged from the original’s, with only the other cast members from the Loki show knowing of his redemption.

Thor will presumably be proud that another version of his brother’s transitioned to heroism, and more than anything, just be happy to see him. But it would be natural for Earth-616’s other modern heroes to be more hesitant to trust Loki, as the Encore scene implies Steve may be. Still, while Steve’s own surprise at a heroic Loki could provide some brief humor and/or drama, the former is known for his willingness to believe that people can change and make up for past mistakes. So, if Doomsday is to reflect on themes of redemption and forgiveness more thoroughly, it would benefit from developing Loki’s dynamics with even more members of the heroic cast. Some of the superheroes being reluctant to accept Loki’s growth could also be a source of interesting tension with other members of the TVA, who know first-hand that that growth is genuine and see Loki as a friend, should any of the latter group appear in Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday Can Team Peggy Carter Up With Modern Heroes

Though not as wildly popular as Loki, Peggy is also a fan favorite, with Atwell’s version having become a much longer-running and well-developed figure than initially expected or than her comic book counterpart had been prior to the MCU. But since the franchise only started regularly including time travel and alternate universes after Endgame’s initial release, Peggy has mostly been limited to period storylines. Only her alternate universe variants known as Captain Carter have appeared alongside modern characters other than Steve and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) in the animated series What If…? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Atwell has herself echoed fan criticisms of Peggy’s role in the latter. Assuming she temporarily departs the 40s with Steve and Loki, Doomsday has the best opportunity yet to explore what kind of relationships she would form with other Marvel mainstays.

But while theories and rumors about Doomsday haven’t pointed to Peggy and Steve themselves being in mortal danger as often as they have for Loki, many do predict that the couple could be in for one or more devastating personal tragedies. These predictions have exacerbated worries that their roles in Doomsday will tarnish the happy ending the 616 versions of the characters got in the original version of Endgame. But while that’s the most common concern fans have about her and Steve’s returns, as is the case with Loki, it would also be a shame if the new film doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity to see how Peggy plays off the main time period’s cast.

What do you want to see from Loki and Peggy Carter in Avengers: Doomsday? Let us know in the comments.

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