Theories Unveiled: Analyzing the Jaw-Dropping Cliffhanger in Loki Season 2 Episode 4

Article Overview

The explosion of the Temporal Loom in episode 4 of Loki season 2 may have caused everyone to return to their original branch realities within the multiverse.

Loki and Sylvie possibly managed to survive the explosion by utilizing their magical powers to shield themselves.

Victor Timely's willingness to enter the Temporal Loom using the Throughput Multiplier suggests his potential to attain greater power, potentially even assuming the role of the next He Who Remains.

Alternative notions involve the entirety of individuals being pruned and sent to the Void, the TVA being ensnared in a probability storm akin to the one depicted in Ant-Man 3, and Kang's prototype potentially serving as an earlier iteration of Kang's engine core.

Loki season 2, episode 4 concluded with a dramatic cliffhanger for the MCU, sparking exciting speculations about the future of the central character, Loki, and the Time Variance Authority. The explosive ending opens up several possibilities for the upcoming episodes of Loki season 2.

In episode 4, the TVA enlists the help of Victor Timely, a variant of He Who Remains, to address the danger of the Temporal Loom. To accommodate the increasing number of branch timelines in the expanding Marvel multiverse, the plan involves enlarging the Loom. Unfortunately, the heroes of the TVA arrive too late, resulting in the explosion of the Temporal Loom at the end of episode 4, seemingly causing the destruction of everyone and everything. As a result, various theories arise regarding what may happen next in Loki season 2.

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6. Every TVA Agent Was Sent Back To Their Original Branch

Will We Finally See Mobius' Timeline?

After the destruction of the Temporal Loom and the apparent dissolution of the TVA, it is highly likely that everyone has been returned to their original branch realities in the multiverse. The agents of the TVA themselves are variants, a truth that was once concealed by He Who Remains. Recent revelations have unveiled that he regularly erased their memories to prevent them from questioning their purpose and allegiance to his Sacred Timeline.

This hypothesis gathers more support from the trailers of Loki season 2. In one specific scene, Loki is seen experiencing his time-slip condition once again, standing in front of a dealership that sells jet skis. Considering Agent Mobius's fondness for jet skis, it is reasonable to assume that he is employed there, and Loki's visit to this branch timeline will likely occur in future episodes of Loki season 2.

5. Loki and Sylvie Survived Using Magic

Did The Gods Survive the Explosion?

Shortly before the detonation of the Temporal Loom in episode 4 of Loki season 2, O.B. took action to reboot the TVA's systems. This tactical move aimed to counter Miss Minutes' interference with the network, but it had an additional consequence. By doing so, the safeguards that had previously prevented the usage of magic within the TVA's walls were eliminated. Consequently, there exists the possibility that both Loki and Sylvie, along with their allies, were able to employ their magical capabilities to shield themselves from the impending explosion.

4. Victor Timely Will Evolve As A New Variant

Will He Become He Who Remains? Or Something Worse?

There's a potential peculiarity surrounding Victor Timely's eagerness to mend the Temporal Loom with the Throughput Multiplier, particularly when Loki had already volunteered to brave the hazardous temporal radiation. It begs the question if Timely possessed knowledge that eluded the others. Furthermore, apprehensions arise regarding his transformation into the next He Who Remains, or even something more formidable than the unassuming inventor he portrayed. Despite being torn asunder by the temporal radiation in episode 4 of Loki season 2, one may speculate that it was all part of his scheme to ascend into a higher state of power.

3. Everyone Was Pruned And Sent To The Void

Is Everyone At The End of Time?

According to Loki season 2 producer Kevin Wright, the destruction caused by the explosion of the Temporal Loom has eradicated reality entirely. Furthermore, he has confirmed that the same temporal energy from the explosion is utilized by the TVA agents to eliminate alternate versions using their time sticks. This particular detail raises intriguing questions about the whereabouts of the entire cast of characters in Loki season 2 after such a monumental cliffhanger.

If the explosion of the Temporal Loom can be likened to a colossal simultaneous pruning, it is highly likely that everyone has been transported to the Void of the End of Time, as witnessed in both Loki season 1 and Loki season 2. However, it is also reasonable to assume that the disintegration and collapse of the entire TVA will lead to an outcome that is even more unpredictable. The trailers have indeed hinted at the resurgence of Loki's time-slipping following the cliffhanger in episode 4 of Loki season 2.

2. The Temporal Loom Was In A Probability Storm

First Seen in Ant-Man 3

Victor Timely ventured outside to fix the Temporal Loom, only to meet a brutal fate. The radiation from Loki season 2, episode 4 tore him apart, resembling the disintegration of spaghetti. This event bears similarity to Ant-Man's encounter with a probability storm in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania.

In an attempt to shrink and repair Kang's multiversal engine core, Scott Lang encountered numerous versions of himself, each representing different choices and subsequent events. These iterations coexisted simultaneously. Unfortunately, one of these "variants" of Ant-Man suffered a fate similar to Victor Timely, unraveling like spaghetti. It is possible that the Temporal Loom's overload triggered a probability storm, leading to a multitude of outcomes for the TVA's destiny in the final two episodes of Loki.

1. Timely's Prototype Is A Multiversal Engine Core

Is There Still Time To Save The TVA?

In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantunmania, Kang the Conqueror utilized the Multiversal Engine Core powered Time Sphere to traverse timelines and journey through the multiverse until his banishment to the Quantum Realm by the Council of Kangs. Interestingly, it has been speculated that Victor Timely's early prototype device, integrated into O.B.'s Throughout Multiplier, featured a similar engine core. Consequently, it is possible that this core produced an unforeseen outcome, which not only resulted in Timely's immediate vaporization but also provided the TVA with an opportunity to survive in the aftermath of the colossal explosion of temporal energy.

New episodes of Loki release every Thursday at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan, I am intrigued by the theories surrounding the jaw-dropping cliffhanger in Loki season 2 episode 4. The explosion of the Temporal Loom has left fans speculating about the fate of beloved characters, the emergence of new variants, and the shocking revelation of a multiversal engine core.

One theory suggests that Loki and Sylvie may have survived the explosion by utilizing their magical powers to shield themselves. This is a plausible explanation, as both characters have demonstrated impressive magical abilities throughout the series. Another theory suggests that Victor Timely, a variant of He Who Remains, may have orchestrated the explosion as part of a plan to assume the role of the next He Who Remains. This theory is supported by the fact that Timely was the one who suggested using the Throughput Multiplier to enlarge the Temporal Loom, and he was also the one who volunteered to enter the Loom despite the dangers.