In the season finale of Loki, we see Loki and Sylvie finally achieve their mission in taking down the Time Variance Authority (TVA). When the two Loki variants finally reached the mastermind pulling the string, He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), it turned out that maybe he was the lesser of many potential evils. And if they killed him, they might unleash something even worse. As he suggests it might even open the door way to a limitless multiverse.
The pair collided over the decision before Sylvie killed He Who Remains, creating multiple branching timelines and sending the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as we know it into frenzy. Most disturbing of all, when Loki was sent back to the TVA, nobody recognises him, not even his buddy, Mobius. In the closing minutes of the season, Loki sees that an evil variant of He Who Remains has become the ruler of the time manipulating organisation.
Who is Jonathan Majors Playing?
Back in September 2020, Deadline announced that Jonathan Majors is cast in Ant-Man: Quantumania, with reports pointing towards the Lovecraft Country actor playing the role of Kang the Conqueror. In the final episode of Loki, we see Majors making his MCU debut portraying an alternate version of the character, as He Who Remains.
Serving as the primary antagonist in the next Ant-Man film, it is likely that Kang the Conqueror would have a presence in the MCU like Thanos throughout the Infinity Saga. In the comics, Kang the Conqueror uses all his resources and technology from the future to rule as many universes as possible while there’s still time. Kang forms the Council of Kangs to rid the universe of his redundant variant selves.
How does Loki tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?
Considering the next Doctor Strange film is subtitled ‘In the Multiverse of Madness’, it is no surprise that Doctor Strange began trending on Twitter, even though the character was never mentioned in the episode. The ending suggests that the Sorcerer Supreme is going to have to deal with the aftermath of Sylvie’s action, or at the very least, limit the damage that has been does to the the Sacred Timeline (where the MCU takes place).
What does this mean for Spider-Man: No Way Home?
We’ve known for some time now that Tom Holland’s next Spider-Man film would tie into the multiverse because it includes Alfred Molina as Spider-Man 2‘s Doctor Octopus and The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s Jamie Foxx as Electro, and neither films are part of the MCU canon. By unleashing the multiverse, Loki made it plausible for the three Spider-Men (fingers crossed!) to unite on the big screen this December.
Sylvie’s action in the final episode of the Disney Plus original has huge implications on the MCU. Is Natalie Portman’s iteration of Thor a variant in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder? Will Fox’s X-Men franchise be integrated into the MCU through multiverse shenanigans? Through Loki, Marvel Studios has begun sowing the seeds of a Multiverse War.
