Unleashing Chaos: MCU Phase 5's Multiverse Villains Redefine the Power of Infinity

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Loki season 2 episode 2

Summary

In Marvel's Phase 5, a group of new villains has emerged, surpassing Thanos in their deadly capabilities and orchestrating a genocide on a catastrophic level. The TVA's objective to eliminate timeline disruptions has led to the annihilation of entire universes, eradicating all existence completely rather than just partially.

The TVA's mission of mass killing is arguably more morally reprehensible than Thanos' plan for universal balance. Unlike Thanos' random approach, the TVA's agenda lacks consideration for any potential good in the variants.

Forget about Thanos, because Marvel's Phase 5 villains in Loki season 2 have surpassed any previous record for the highest number of victims in MCU history. The death toll caused by the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War was thought to be the worst tragedy in MCU, but Loki season 2 will prove otherwise. The genocide committed in the name of preserving the multiverse is both horrifying and massive in scale.

Few things in life are certain: death, taxes, and the continuous rise of superhero movie adversaries. Just as Loki was recovering from his failed attempt to invade Earth in The Avengers, Thanos appeared, ominously hinting at his future plans. And even as the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame was still settling, with Thanos' remains scattered across a New York field, discussions were already underway to introduce Kang to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Or, more accurately, thousands of Kang variants. Presently, fans are already speculating about what greater threat lies ahead after Kang: Galactus? Annihilus? The overwhelming burden of expanding storylines? But before any of this becomes reality, Loki's newest villains have managed to diminish Thanos' previously unprecedented universal genocide to a mere blip on the radar.

Loki's TVA Just Killed Way More People Than Thanos

In Loki season 2 episode 2, General Dox (played by Kate Dickie) successfully executes her plan to rectify the chaotic multiverse caused by Sylvie's killing of He Who Remains in the season 1 finale. She leads a renegade faction of TVA hunters on a mission to eradicate all branches that disrupt the Sacred Timeline. Dox's supporters strategically plant bombs on numerous branches, swiftly destroying them one after another to prevent a complete collapse of the multiverse. Surprisingly, their mission is a success, obliterating countless branches within minutes as the hunters traverse from one to the next.

Hunter B-15 (portrayed by Wunmi Mosaku) points out that this mass pruning of branches results in the death of billions. However, the true scope of their genocide is downplayed in Loki season 2 episode 2. Each bombed branch represents an entire universe, and the number of lives lost on countless planets surpasses the magnitude of Thanos' snap in Infinity War. Thanos eradicated half of existence, but the TVA's actions have wiped out 100% of existence in numerous universes. The unimaginable scale of the victims cannot be overstated.

Why The TVA Are More Evil Than Thanos (For 2 Reasons)

Similar to Thanos, the TVA believes their mission serves a greater purpose. In episode 1, even Loki himself acknowledges that He Who Remains made difficult decisions to prevent a Multiversal War, which he had already successfully defeated with his different versions. Thanos aimed for universal balance by choosing to eliminate half of existence, allowing the remaining half to flourish. These plans may possess a certain level of righteousness, yet they also raise moral complexities. For instance, who granted these killer gods the authority to determine the destiny of all others? Controversially, the TVA's mission of mass extermination might even surpass the evilness of Thanos.

At the very least, the Mad Titan's plan was random in the pursuit of balance. However, both iterations of the TVA (He Who Remains and Dox's faction after his demise) lack randomness entirely. Each branching timeline is deemed rogue solely because it deviates from the Sacred Timeline, which He Who Remains declared as the approved one. Any variant, imperfection, or outsider - like Sylvie and almost every other Loki - is considered unacceptable as they divert from He Who Remains' self-preservation agenda. Within the array of villainous Kang variants, there could potentially be good beings who face destruction in the name of cruel and unfeeling order. This is not balance, but rather tyranny, and Loki affirms the devastating toll it takes.

New episodes of Loki season 2 release every Thursday on Disney+