Avengers: Doomsday’s Loki Story Will Break One of the Multiverse Saga’s Bad Habits

Tom Hiddleston will be back on-screen as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday, and the character’s story will break one of the Multiverse Saga’s bad habits. Loki is one of many heroes returning in the next Avengers movie, but he’s easily one of the most important familiar faces we’ll see. Hiddleston’s character is the one holding all the branches of the multiverse together after Loki Season 2, which puts him at the center of the looming multiversal crisis. It’s a big responsibility for anyone, but he’s more ready for it after his Disney+ show.

And the jump from that series to the events of Avengers: Doomsday will break away from an unfortunate trend seen in two other Multiverse Saga movies. Hiddleston himself confirmed the 2026 film won’t lean into a choice that hurt both of them, and the newly released Doomsday trailer alludes to this as well. If nothing else, it’s a sign that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is improving its TV and movie connections.

Avengers: Doomsday Won’t Reverse Loki’s Growth From His Disney+ Show

Hiddleston’s character gets something of a reset in Loki, as we’re introduced to a new variant of the character — one that doesn’t have the growth the original Loki experiences under his belt just yet. Loki Seasons 1 and 2 take him on that journey, bringing out his better instincts as well. It’s a bit repetitive, but it’s a fun enough experience. And Hiddleston promised fans won’t have to witness Loki’s redemption story a third time in Avengers: Doomsday. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that the 2026 film will pick up with Loki where the Disney+ series leaves him:

“Loki felt like a closure. And when Marvel called about Avengers: Doomsday, it was going to be starting from that end point…So there was no sense of unstitching or undoing all of that development. That development still stands as a place to begin.“

Although Loki only appears briefly in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, the footage seems to confirm Hiddleston’s comments further. We see him holding a TVA card and wearing his suit from the Disney+ series. It sends a very clear message that this is acknowledging Loki’s journey in that project. That itself breaks a Multiverse Saga habit of movies ignoring what happens in the MCU’s TV shows.

The Multiverse Saga Has a Bad Habit of Undoing or Repeating Its Disney+ Stories

The Multiverse Saga has undone or repeated a character’s journey following their Disney+ show more than once, with Wanda Maximoff and Sam Wilson being notable examples. Wanda gets a complete regression in the jump from TV to film. In WandaVision, we watch her grief turn her into a threat and potential villain — then see her snap out of it and choose to do the right thing. Her actions at the end of the series don’t align with her appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Sure, grief isn’t necessarily linear, but her actions in the film don’t reflect the lessons she learns in WandaVision at all. It’s almost as if the MCU restarts her grieving journey, just with a different outcome this time.

Sam Wilson’s treatment isn’t as dramatic, as Captain America: Brave New World feels like a natural progression from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier a points. However, there are parts of his journey that feel a bit repetitive, as both projects grapple with him accepting and coming into his role as the new Captain America. In some ways, it feels like both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Captain America: Brave New World are trying to appeal to fans of the shows and those who haven’t seen them. It makes them feel a bit meaningless to viewers who are caught up, however. And given the importance of Loki’s journey on the small screen, it’s a good sign that Doomsday isn’t following this trend with him.

Avengers: Doomsday’s Loki Choice Is a Good Sign for the MCU’s Future

The desire to make newer MCU films accessible to everyone — regardless of whether they’ve seen the Disney+ shows — makes sense. However, it’s frustrating for those who do watch them and could likely be remedied without backtracking on the growth that occurs within these series. Avengers: Doomsday will, hopefully, prove as much, marking a step in the right direction for the MCU. If the franchise is going to embrace both film and TV as storytelling mediums, it should fully commit to that. That means making the pivotal aspects of its TV shows matter in its movie universe and vice versa. Hiddleston’s words suggest Marvel is coming around to this reality, and they offer hope for a better balance in the future. That’s a promising sign, especially for those of us who have enjoyed all the series released so far.

Avengers: Doomsday debuts in theaters on December 18, 2026.

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