the MCU timeline. However, it turned out that wasn't the case, as a variant of Loki escaped from the Avengers via the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame. His actions didn't go unnoticed, as the TVA kidnapped him for violating the sacred timeline. This set up a new story for Loki, pivoting his journey from villain to hero.
With his new role in the TVA, Loki helped Mobius and others figure out MCU's multiverse operates. It got confusing at times, but one of the show's writers said they were so focused on keeping the story and time travel rules consistent that it impacted Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Loki's Story Is One Of The MCU's Best
Loki delivered an interesting sci-fi storyline with an emotional arc
Loki had a difficult task: explain the logic and concepts of the multiverse while keeping audiences engaged. The first season did a good job at establishing the TVA and this hidden sector of the MCU. It showed how the timeline has been maintained for centuries and what could happen if everything falls apart. It also set up Kang the Conqueror, who was the original central antagonist of the Multiverse Saga before the MCU pivoted to Doctor Doom.
After Tom Hiddleston’s Latest Comments About Loki’s Avengers: Doomsday Return, I’m Even More Interested To See How It Follows Up On Loki Season 2’s Ending
Loki was last seen at the end of his eponymous TV series, leaving the character in a strange and confusing place when Avengers: Doomsday begins.
The second season showed the consequences of the timeline falling apart after Sylvie killed He Who Remains, as Loki and Mobius needed to find a way to maintain the timeline with no one in charge. This narrative ends with a fantastic conclusion for the show and for Loki, as he takes control of the timelines, keeping them together as the God of Stories. Loki finally found his glorious purpose, and it ended the series on a high note. However, Hiddleston is returning in Avengers: Doomsday, meaning Loki's story isn't finished just yet.
Loki Is So Good That 1 MCU Writer Explained It Complicated Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Doctor Strange 2 needed to follow Loki's rules
Endgame introduced the MCU's time travel rules, which differ from familiar theories established in films like Back to the Future. Essentially, changing something in the past doesn't necessarily change the future. It opens up a new timeline with new events, meaning the other timeline can remain unchanged. These theories were further explored in Loki, as the TVA showed how they maintain the timeline to keep variants from popping up. In an interview with writer Digital Spy, writer Michael Waldron said they coordinated with the team behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to ensure things remained consistent.
“We worked pretty hard on Loki to make it as airtight as possible. But there were times when I was like, 'Oh, sh*t, I wish I hadn't have defined that so clearly. I don't know why I had to be so specific in my time-travel television show about the rules of the multiverse… But, I was glad that I came in with institutional knowledge of the multiverse and was able to get the creative team of Doctor Strange on the same page as me on everything. Because like with Loki, that's the most important thing when you're dealing with this.”
Multiverse of Madness didn't focus on time travel much. It was mainly focused on jumping between multiple universes and dealing with different variants - concepts with inherent ties to the rules and depiction of the multiverse provided in Loki itself. As such, the movie's story was naturally complicated by Loki already having fleshed out these concepts in such specific ways, and by the detail Loki had to go into about how these concepts work. Ultimately, the movie never violated the rules established in Loki, but could have arguably dived deeper into the MCU's larger multiverse.
I'm Still Glad Loki Gave Such Specific Time-Travel Rules Despite How Much More Complicated It Makes The MCU
Loki did its best at explaining how the MCU's time travel works
The MCU's Multiverse Saga has created some confusion within the MCU. The time travel rules make enough sense, but it does cause many plot holes within the MCU. For example, it's a bit confusing regarding what the TVA allows and what it doesn't. How come Loki escaping the Avengers is something that needs to be stopped but not Captain America traveling back in time to be with Peggy? Why wasn't Doctor Strange punished for interfering with the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home?
It's confusing how all the timelines can work together, and the MCU hasn't properly dealt with any of the consequences of the multiverse yet, but Avengers: Doomsday should finally bring everything together. While Loki didn't clear everything up, it at least established a base for the MCU to work with, even if this gave future installments more specific parameters to work from. Hopefully, this should help everything come together for Avengers: Secret Wars, which will provide a conclusion to the Multiverse Saga.
Loki
- Release Date
- June 9, 2021
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Michael Waldron
Cast
Loki Laufeyson
Miss Minutes (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Kate Herron
- Writers
- Bisha K. Ali, Michael Waldron
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Creator(s)
- Michael Waldron
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