The MCU‘s Multiverse Saga has had plenty of stumbles along the way. To be fair to Marvel, not all of them have been their own fault; while it’s true Marvel unwittingly diluted the brand, even the House of Ideas was left on the back foot due to global pandemics and the writers’ strike. Jonathan Majors’ conviction left Marvel doing a hasty course-correction, largely because the actor was due to play every incarnation of Kang the Conqueror – originally the Multiverse Saga’s main villain.
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Marvel pivoted away from Kang, instead bringing back Robert Downey, Jr. as Doctor Doom. And yet, for all that’s the case, some of the stories that set up Kang remain popular. What’s more, five years ago, one masterpiece Marvel TV show served as direct setup by bringing back the MCU’s best villain. What’s more, he’s already confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday, meaning there’s definitely going to be payoff for this one.
Loki Season 1 Aired Five Years Ago Today
I’m referring, of course, to Loki – easily one of the best Marvel TV shows ever made, even now. What’s more, don’t take my word for it: Loki Season 1 has a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 92%, and an audience score of 90%. It’s one of the rare occasions where fans and critics agree; everything in Loki Season 1 comes together perfectly. In large part that’s due to the stellar cast, with Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie and Owen Wilson’s Mobius taking center-stage.
There’s something refreshingly whimsical about Loki Season 1, which hops around the MCU timeline in an engaging mystery with surprisingly high stakes. This was really when the multiverse became a thing in the MCU, springing out of Avengers: Endgame and complicating that film’s temporal mechanics to create something fresh and new. The Time Variance Authority is a genius addition to MCU lore, essentially time cops whose job is to prevent the multiverse emerging. And then, in the end, we finally have an explanation why.
According to He Who Remains – a variant of Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors – the multiverse is locked in an eternal cycle of creation and destruction. Left unchecked, the inevitable consequence of a multiverse is war on an unimaginable scale; largely because every universe has its own version of Kang, with most incarnations dedicating themselves to conquering the other. When the dust settles from this war, He Who Remains attempts to keep things in check by pruning timelines… until he finally fails.
It’s a genius idea, simply because it establishes the Multiverse Saga’s stakes in an instant. Loki is the beginning of a new cycle, and the Multiverse must end in destruction and recreation; alpha and omega looping round in a stunning ouroboros. There would, of course, be a moment of maximum danger where the multiverse’s cycle could potentially be broken – when the chaos built to a head, setting up the ultimate version of Avengers: Secret Wars. It’s easy to see all that setup in Loki Season 1.
Marvel’s Changed Direction, But the Core Remains
Loki Season 2 ended by establishing Loki’s greater role in the Multiverse Saga, making him an integral part of the multiverse. What’s more, although Marvel’s multiversal plans have changed so much, Doomsday still promises to follow up on this. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is confirmed to return in Doomsday, which surely means we’re going to see the greatest Avengers villain of all go head-to-head with Doctor Doom. It will be thrilling to see how Loki works alongside the various Avengers teams.
In the comics, Loki has often considered himself the Avengers’ true founder. He was the one who got the band together, albeit as their opponent; on some occasions, he’s deliberately gathered heroes together and bragged about himself as the true First Avenger. Loki played a similar role in The Avengers, so it’s fitting the Avengers are finally reforming with a Loki variant in play. Not only will we surely see Loki and Doctor Doom share scenes together, but we’ll also learn what Chris Hemsworth’s Thor makes of a Loki who’s gradually become a hero.
Deadpool & Wolverine is the essential step between Loki Season 2 and Avengers: Doomsday, building on Loki‘s TVA and also the monstrous void that Cassandra Nova ruled in. We don’t yet know how those aspects will play into Doomsday; will the TVA still work for Loki, or will they wind up under Doom’s control? Whatever the truth may be, though, viewers would surely be wise to rewatch Loki seasons 1 and 2 ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. The narrative may have changed, but this show is sure to still be essential setup.
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