Unleashing Loki's Hidden Weapon: The Ultimate Game-Changer Against Thanos

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Loki season 2, episode 1

Summary

Loki's time-manipulating skill defies the time-travel principles set in place by Avengers: Endgame, enabling alterations in the past that have consequences in the future.

This newfound ability may prove pivotal in forthcoming crossover movies such as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars, offering the Avengers an upper hand against Kang.

Despite some improvements, Loki's time-slipping still faces several issues such as the lack of control, potential harm to Loki, and the possibility of Kang also possessing the ability to time-slip. This presents an opportunity for Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to provide the Avengers with a game-changing tool in the MCU, one that they were unable to utilize against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. While the Avengers faced certain rules and restrictions during their time travel mission, it appears that the dynamics of time-travel are evolving in Loki season 2, courtesy of the mischievous God himself.

In Loki season 2, episode 1, the God of Mischief found himself returning from the Citadel at the End of Time only to realize that he had been transported back to the TVA in the distant past. Shortly after, he was violently thrust back to the known present. This premiere episode revealed that Loki is afflicted with "time-slipping," a chaotic temporal condition where his body is involuntarily leaping between the past, present, and future. Nevertheless, the new MCU show has already illustrated the potential utility of Loki's time-slipping abilities.

The Avengers Weren't Allowed To Alter The Past In Avengers: Endgame

Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Endgame discovered a way to travel through time using the Quantum Realm. This groundbreaking method allowed them to reverse Thanos' Decimation, where half of all life in the universe was wiped out. However, it proved to be much more complicated than simply going back in time to warn themselves or eliminate Thanos before he executed his evil plan. As Hulk explained, time-travel doesn't work that way. "When you travel to the past, that past becomes your future, and your previous present becomes the past, which cannot be altered by your new future." Therefore, the Avengers had only one option: retrieve the Infinity Stones from the past.

By retrieving and returning the Infinity Stones to their rightful place in time, the Avengers successfully reversed the consequences of the Snap. However, it is important to note that all previous events involving Thanos and the five-year Blip still occurred as they had originally happened. The primary timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was not altered, as the Avengers lacked the ability to change their present by modifying the past. Any alterations made would have resulted in the creation of a separate branch timeline, with events unfolding differently in an alternate reality. Hence, the original present remained unchanged.

Loki's Time Slipping Means The Past Can Affect The Future

In the TVA, time operates in a different manner, incorporating the concept of time-travel as well. As depicted in the season 2 premiere of Loki, the act of time-slipping by the God of Mischief has effectively violated the rules previously established by the Hulk in Endgame. This fact was confirmed during the initial conversation between Loki, Agent Mobius, and the newly introduced character Ouroboros, portrayed by Ke Huy Quan.

During the conversation, Loki was transported through time and found himself speaking with O.B in the past. Meanwhile, in the present, Mobius continued his discussion with the head of Repairs and Advancement. This unexpected time-travel event led to a grandfather paradox, where initially O.B did not have a Temporal Aura Extractor, but then remembered that he had just made one in the past at Loki's request.

This discovery has significant implications for the future, as it challenges the belief that the past cannot influence the future. Loki now possesses the potential to play a crucial role in future crossover films like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars. In the face of adversity against Kang, Loki could travel back in time to assist the Avengers in altering their tactics. In addition, weapons and tools could be created in the past and brought into the present, offering strategic advantages. By utilizing his ability to time-slip, Loki could effectively warn the Avengers of incoming threats, preventing surprise attacks from Kang. However, it should be noted that this can only be achieved if Loki masters the skill of controlling time slipping.

Why Loki's New Skill Still Has Problems

In general, there are still significant concerns surrounding Loki's time-slipping and its potential as a crucial tool in the future. Initially, it appears that Loki may have lost this ability in Loki season 2's premiere due to Mobius and OB's combined efforts. However, it remains to be seen if Loki has truly stabilized on a temporal level, considering that the trailers for Loki season 2 suggest that there may be further instances of time-slipping.

Additionally, in the premiere, Loki had no control over the time-slipping, and the process seemed violent and harmful. This raises the possibility that prolonged time-slipping could ultimately result in the God of Mischief's demise. Furthermore, there is a concern that Kang the Conqueror himself might have the ability to time-slip. If this is the case, the worry would be that Loki and Kang could continuously time-slip throughout the MCU's timeline endlessly.

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