Loki episode 1 spoilers follow.
Loki kicked things off with a lot of exposition in episode one, like, an obscene amount, but while teaching us about the TVA, Loki also found time to troll the Avengers and explain away a sneaky Endgame plot hole. Still, with this being a Marvel show and all, Loki's first episode ends up raising more questions than it answers.
Why is the "evil variant" hiding their face? Why are the Time Keepers giant space lizards? And why hasn't poor Casey ever seen a fish before? He's missing out on some real treats there.
And then of course, there's the ultimate question: What is all of this building towards? The "evil" Loki clearly wants to destroy the TVA or at the very least, take them out of the picture for some nefarious reason. While that exact goal hasn't been revealed just yet, it's clear that the timeline is key to their plan, and most likely, the future of the MCU too.
Early on in episode one, an instructional video explains the origins of the TVA and what their purpose is, all packaged in a neat '70s-style animation. In this clip, we learn that the universe started out as a multiverse, but over time, the different dimensions clashed in ways that threatened to destroy everything (much like 2015's Secret Wars comic book run). That's when three cosmic beings known as the Time Keepers stepped in to shuffle the multiverse into one "sacred" timeline.
And that's what the TVA was formed to protect. When people don't follow the "sacred timeline", AKA the main MCU continuity, this "Nexus" event creates a new timeline that branches off. This in turn "could create madness", as the video puts it, which is a really interesting way to describe this given what we already know from previous Disney+ shows.
What to Read Next
In Marvel comics, the 'Nexus of All Realities' is a gateway where all possible realities intersect. But even more importantly than that, the term "Nexus" has also come up in WandaVision.
Back in episode seven, one of those meaningful adverts promoted a "Nexus" antidepressant, and this hinted at Wanda's true identity as a "Nexus Being". The Scarlet Witch can alter reality itself, and that means she holds the power to change the multiverse too in ways that the TVA probably wouldn't like too much. So on top of Loki, the TVA also has to deal with Wanda at some point, and the final episode of WandaVision hinted that this will likely happen sooner rather than later.
In the last post-credits scene, Wanda was studying the Darkhold, a book of untold power, when she heard the voice of her child, Billy, calling to her from another world. Given how much the loss of her family wrecked Wanda, nothing will stop her from bringing the children back, even if that means creating a "Nexus Event" to retrieve them.
And remember when the TVA clip said an unchecked Nexus Event could lead to "madness"? It's no coincidence that Wanda will next show up in the Doctor Strange film, titled "The Multiverse of Madness". But will she fight the "madness" or will the Scarlet Witch help create it in the first place?
We don't know yet who will be responsible for setting off this new multiversal war. Any number of Loki variants could easily cause this kind of havoc, and Wanda is a wild card right now too. Whatever happens though, it's pretty clear that the TVA are going to fail in their mission at some point, and that means the sacred timeline is screwed.
Could this be how the X-Men are introduced? Will the Spider-Man multiverse appear in Doctor Strange 2? And will Casey finally find out what fish tastes like? The answers to all of this lie in store, along with a possible new Big Bad who likes to meddle with time and goes by the name of Kang...
Loki streams exclusively every Wednesday on Disney+.
Marvel/Zavvi/Salesone Loki limited edition twin headpiece set
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
