Loki Season 2 Unveils Mind-Blowing Twist: The Real Secret Behind Kang's Debut!

Warning: spoilers for Loki season 1, episode 1

Summary

Loki season 2 rewrites the Kang twist from season 1 by exposing Loki's journey to the past instead of a future controlled by Kang in the TVA.

The unveiling of time as a circular concept in the MCU enhances our understanding of the multiverse, but also heightens its risks, foreshadowing the imminent reappearance of He Who Remains and the possible alterations to his objectives and strategies.

Loki season 2 may potentially feature a new antagonist, shifting away from Kang the Conqueror's role as a central character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This change is expected to occur with the inclusion of Victor Timely and the Council of Kangs in the upcoming film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Moreover, the first season of Loki has already revised the surprising Kang twist from its finale, suggesting significant alterations on the horizon for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Loki's return to the MCU, facilitated by his variant's actions in Avengers: Endgame, led to the introduction of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and an exploration of the intricacies of variants and the multiverse. Season 1 concluded with a major cliffhanger, introducing He Who Remains (played by Jonathan Majors), a variant of Kang the Conqueror.

Loki and his counterpart, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), successfully reached the Citadel at the End of Time, where they encountered He Who Remains, the founder of the TVA. He Who Remains revealed that a conflict amongst his alternate versions compelled him to establish the TVA in order to regulate the timeline and avert another catastrophic event. However, Sylvie ultimately took the life of He Who Remains. Utilizing a TemPad, Sylvie sent Loki back to the TVA, where he made a startling discovery – the presence of a towering statue depicting one of He Who Remain's variants, widely believed to be Kang. Surprisingly, the recent premiere of Loki season 2 has now revised this narrative twist involving Kang.

Loki Season 2 Undoes The Original Finale's Kang Set-Up

Loki season 2 commences directly from the conclusion of season 1, with Loki reappearing at the TVA and approaching Mobius and B-15, both of whom fail to recognize him. The presence of a Kang statue within the TVA suggests that Loki has arrived in a future where a different variant of He Who Remains, most likely Kang the Conqueror, has assumed control over the TVA. This significant alteration indicates that Mobius, B-15, and everyone else had their memories erased, hence their unfamiliarity with Loki. As a result, previous speculations linking Loki season 1 to the upcoming crossovers Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars have been overturned by the substantial changes introduced in season 2.

Why Loki Going To The Past Is So Deep

Contrary to what was initially believed, Loki did not find himself in a future dominated by a Kang variant who had taken control of the TVA after the demise of He Who Remains and the subsequent splintering of the Sacred Timeline. Instead, he inadvertently found himself transported to the past. In the first episode of Loki season 2, the God of Mischief experiences unexpected temporal displacement caused by the instability of the timeline branches, causing him to shift to different points in time. When Loki encountered the statue of Kang, he was actually situated in the past, where the statue represented He Who Remains. At this particular juncture, He Who Remains had not yet forged the Time-Keepers and executed a reset of the TVA, which entailed erasing the memories of all its employees.

Choosing to send Loki back in time instead of forward holds more intrigue and complexity than initially meets the eye. This decision carries significant consequences for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The concept of the multiverse and its various timelines within the MCU has been rather convoluted, as each film and television show establishes its own rules only to disregard them shortly thereafter. However, Loki's journey into the past and the revelation that the season 1 finale occurs in a previous time era hint at the cyclical nature of time within the MCU. This notion is further reinforced when Loki encounters Ouroboros (played by Ke Huy Quan) in the past, ultimately influencing the present-day conversation between O.B. and Mobius.

Time as a circle, hinted at in the promotional material for Loki, not only offers a better understanding of the MCU's multiverse but also presents increased risks. The circular nature of time implies the inevitable return of He Who Remains, although his intentions and objectives remain uncertain, significantly impacting the entirety of the MCU. Consequently, Loki can witness the reboot of the MCU, paving the way for The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, with the aim of permanently eliminating Kang's variants and ensuring the TVA is entrusted to capable hands.

Is Loki Setting Up A Huge Kang Change?

The revelation of how time truly operates, courtesy of Loki and his time-altering abilities, not only sets the stage for The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars (as well as the upheaval caused by the branching of the Sacred Timeline), but it also hints at the possibility of a change in the villainous landscape. In the upcoming second season of Loki, a new Kang variant named Victor Timely will make his debut, and despite He Who Remains' demise, his influence continues to linger. Therefore, Loki could mark the beginning of the MCU's departure from Kang the Conqueror as a central character.

This statement becomes more evident by recalling the conclusion of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, in which the Council of Kangs unveils the demise of the Conqueror. Loki season 2 holds significant potential in shaping the future of the MCU's Multiverse Saga, particularly Phase 6, as it not only initiates a timeline reset and MCU reboot but also introduces a burgeoning antagonist.

Episodes of Loki are scheduled to premiere on Disney+ every Thursday at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.