Loki Expands Phase Four; Introduces Multiverse

A Show with Great Implications

Marvel’s Loki, already confirmed for a second season, is a breath of fresh air after several other subpar Marvel shows. Its dialogue is witty and entertaining, with much of the show being focused on simple worldbuilding and character establishment. The world presented is incredible and exciting when it comes to how impactful it will be on the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the characters (especially Owen Wilson’s Mobius) are charismatic and fun to watch.

Loki follows Loki, the lovable villain from the first Avengers film after he has escaped his fate at Thanos’ hands in Avengers: Endgame. This leads to his capture by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), where he learns about the multiverse and how everything in the timeline is dictated by this powerful organization. We explore this setting as Loki helps to track down a version of himself that has been killing TVA agents. This plot is consistently engaging as it never seems to settle into predictability.

Loki’s strongest point is, as had been mentioned previously, its characters. Loki delves deeper into the character of Loki than in the Marvel films, where he’d been characterized as a somewhat generic villain whose sole motivation is to rule the world. This is addressed when Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is shown that the role he has played was really only one of chaos and suffering that was never meant to accumulate to anything. This forces him to change into a more likable person that has intentions outside of just helping himself.

Owen Wilson’s Mobiusis a character who lights up every scene he’s in and comes to terms with the idea that the things he was led to believe about his entire life may not be what they seem. This leads him to make some interesting decisions which involve changing the dynamics he had with other characters. These are just some of the highlights in a show filled with interesting characters that interact with each other through compelling dialogue.

One weak point of the show is the romance subplot between Loki and the female version of himself, Sylvie. It’s addressed multiple times as being kind of weird—which it certainly is—but it’s also kind of forced. There is not all that much chemistry between the two, so the show relies on telling the audience that they are attracted to each other more often than showing it. Another weak point is representation, as Loki’s sex is listed as “fluid” in the first episode yet we see a scene later into the show dedicated to alternate versions of himself ridiculing the concept of a “woman” Loki. Otherwise, it’s still a great first season of the show.

Aside from its outstanding quality on its own, Loki’s subject matter has some serious implications for the rest of the MCU. It establishes an important part of the comic books; The multiverse, which seems so important that it would be almost weird for the movies to go back to regular, single-timeline storytelling. This is a big step in a new direction for the franchise. Since the last plotline culminated in the Infinity War and Endgame movies, it left many fans wondering whether it would be worth it for the franchise to continue at all.

Loki represents a complete change in what future Marvel movies could look like. It’s widely theorized that the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home will involve the multiverse given that it’s bringing back actors from previous Spider-Man universes to reprise their roles as villains. While this has not been confirmed, it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched given that we know the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be. Additionally, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be featuring the main villain from Loki, Kang the Conqueror, and the TV series What-If explores stories from various universes. Given all this, it seems like it’s safe to say that Loki will only be our first taste of what’s to come.

This article is from Volume 07, Issue 02: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/483509472/