Loki has officially introduced the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the Multiverse, and the possibilities from here, well, they're endless. Our first glimpse of the chaos to come promises to play out in What If?, followed by movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
During a recent interview on the D23 Inside Disney podcast, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige revealed that they've all recently held a meeting to discuss the rules of the Multiverse.
"[The] Multiverse is coming up in a big way," he teased. "There's interconnectivity there that people have already started to see and suss out and I had a meeting this morning with the whole broad Marvel Studios team going through the Multiverse and the rules of the Multiverse and exactly how to really deliver on the excitement surrounding the Multiverse."
"In the same way, the Multiverse is something we geek out about and we really love all the storytelling potential it brings, but thought we had to dull out what it was and introducing the concept even briefly in Doctor Strange and then as a fakeout in Spider-Man: Far From Home," Feige added, seemingly confirming that there won't be a reveal about Mysterio really being from another Earth (a shame, but the sequel did a good job of explaining the Multiverse).
Feige concluded by sharing one more tease. "I will tell you something: It is more than just fans that are following along with the Multiverse storyline. It's really exciting even to see it mid-way through the Loki series now, as people respond to the possibilities."
When you stop and think about where things could go next, the mind really does boggle, and after Loki, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same again. Things are going to get really nuts over the next few years and with Kang the Conqueror on the horizon, another Multiversal War is coming.
Click on the "Next" button below for the
biggest reveals from the season finale of Loki!
8. It Was Kang All Along
Heading into the finale, we were all a little concerned Loki might reveal that another of the God of Mischief's Variants would be the show's big bad. An even worse option was that it could be Miss Minutes, an A.I. that had achieved sentience and killed the Time-Keepers before taking charge of the TVA.
Thankfully, we instead learned that Kang the Conqueror is the one in charge. Well, one of his Variants. It seems there is no original because the nature of the Multiverse means that countless realities are stacked on top of each other; however, "He Who Remains" was able to weaponise Alioth and wipe out his doppelgangers in order to put an end to a Multiversal War.
That's because there are other Kangs who simply want to conquer the new worlds they discovered, and as this Variant - who is akin to Immortus - explains, they're now on the way. That's a confusing concept, but one we'll explore a little later.
7. The True Multiversal War
The TVA's version of the Multiversal War (explained by Miss Minutes in the first episode) is that all the different timelines started fighting each other for supremacy, and it was only when the Time-Keepers stepped in that disaster was averted. From there, they created a "Sacred Timeline," but there's more to that story than meets the eye.
As Kang explains, the truth is that all his Variants went to war in a bid to protect their timelines and potentially control the others. Now, another war is on the horizon because this endless number of Kangs have been reborn and will, sooner or later, arrive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe looking to conquer and rule over it.
How Marvel Studios plans to handle this is hard to say; we can't imagine Jonathan Majors playing millions, thousands, hundreds or even dozens of Kangs on screen at the same time, so we're banking on a few different versions showing up like Iron Lad and perhaps even the scientist from the 31st Century who discovered the Multiverse (with the Conqueror as the MCU's new big bad).
6. Sylvie Betrays Loki
Anyone expecting Loki to return to his villainous nature in this series was definitely left with egg on their face after the finale, because the God of Mischief proved he really had changed.
Sylvie, however, could not see past her desire for revenge and having not learned how fruitless that is (as Loki once did), she betrays him... after they share a kiss. While we can't help but hope that means they will eventually get a happy ending together, this betrayal could be a step too far and Loki is clearly heartbroken by his Variant's actions.
Sophia Di Martino has said that Sylvie felt empty after killing Kang, so who knows where her story goes next. She has a TemPad that can take her to any timeline, but will she track down Loki or once again head down her own path? Initially, we think it will be the latter, but they simply have to meet again.
5. The Sacred Timeline Is No More
Up until this point, everything we've seen in the MCU has taken place on the "Sacred Timeline." Before Loki, we've only actually visited different timelines on two occasions and both of those were in Avengers: Endgame. There, Earth's Mightiest Heroes travelled back to multiple pasts, but managed to "repair" them when Captain America returned the Infinity Stones.
Even so, their actions must have caused some issues on the Sacred Timeline, all of which were likely resolved by the TVA (possibly meaning that the timelines Steve Rogers returned to were pruned anyway, just like the one Loki managed to escape from in 2012).
So, why were the Avengers meant to travel back in time? Because Kang wanted Loki to replace him in the Citadel at the End of Time, and as Sam Wilson was destined to become Cap, Steve had to live in a branched timeline so he could return to the main one as an old man. We still have a lot of questions, though, and can't help but think this will be addressed down the line.
4. Judge Renslayer's Mission
While Judge Renslayer clearly knows that everyone in the TVA is a Variant (she certainly seems aware of her own counterpart in 2018), the reveal that the Time-Keepers were robots was just as much a surprise to her as it was to Loki and Sylvie.
Now, she clearly hopes to track Kang down, but we don't know what those files Miss Minutes gave her revealed or where she's heading. "He Who Remains" clearly wanted her to see them, though, so something tells us Renslayer is on the way to the 31st Century where she'll inadvertently play a role in the creation of the TVA.
We could see her become a villain in her own right, of course, and her falling for Kang would line up nicely with the comic books. Whatever the case might be, Renslater is a character with an intriguing future in the MCU who could factor into a lot of stories.
3. The Birth Of The Multiverse
As the final few minutes of "For Time. Always." makes clear, the Multiverse has been reborn. However, we're not talking about just a few branching timelines. There are now countless alternate realities, and in terms of how that affects the MCU's future, the ramifications are going to be massive.
For starters, we now have a much better understanding of how Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's versions of Spider-Man can factor into Spider-Man: No Way Home as they can just be plucked from another world. Marvel Studios can do that with as many actors and characters as they like now, and this even clears up how Tom Holland will play Spidey in two cinematic universes.
It's inevitable that he'll swing into the SPUMC sooner rather than later, but when he does, that Peter Parker will be a Variant, and his actions won't have any sort of impact on his MCU counterpart. It's a genius idea and one that also opens the door to Marvel Studios eventually recasting characters.
2. A Planet Of The Apes-Style Ending
The final scene in Loki definitely pays homage to Planet of the Apes when we see the God of Mischief arrive in the wrong timeline. There, the TVA is ruled over by one of - if not the - Kang the Conqueror "He Who Remains" warned him about, and something tells us the tricker is in big trouble.
The original Morbius and Hunter B-15 are still alive and well in what we've come to know as the Sacred Timeline, so their memories haven't been wiped or anything like that, but Loki is going to have to contend with Variants he doesn't know who are likely loyal to who they see as their benevolent ruler.
Honestly, we don't bank on Loki spending much time there because watching him befriend another Mobius and go through all that again sounds kind of...dull? However, there's definitely something to be said for Loki exploring a reality completely unlike his own before meeting Kang.
1. The Conqueror Is Coming
So, we're banking on one definitive Kang the Conqueror making his presence felt in the MCU, but that doesn't mean his Variants won't also make an impact. We'd be shocked if his Variants don't somehow factor into proceedings, though, with an actor younger than Majors suiting up as Iron Lad, for example.
Kang is an incredibly powerful character, but not one who has ever really made use of an army. That's going to present some challenges when he comes to play with the MCU's Avengers, so perhaps he'll be joined by other, lesser Kangs who can serve as canon fodder for Earth's Mightiest Heroes?
It's hard to say, but Kang is clearly a major threat, who we'll see take centre stage in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Something tells us his story won't be wrapping up there, however!