Disney's Investor Day was a fruitful one for Marvel fans far and wide, bringing together a wide array of information about many of the upcoming projects from Marvel Studios.
Disney+ was Marvel's big focus during the event, with a variety of new series being announced for the platform. Though he is long gone, Iron Man will have a sustained impact on the MCU, as a show based on Ironheart centers on Tony Stark's comic book protégé Riri Williams. Stark's friend James Rhodes will also get some play, with War Machine set to appear in the series Armor Wars.
Loki will take the title character in new directions, reoutfitting the God of Mischief as a Doctor Who-esque special agent. A new trailer included this revelation and much more, also featuring a look at Owen Wilson's mustachioed character. Many fans have already begun to run rampant with speculation, after the appearance of a mysterious woman in the trailer.
A blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot from the trailer could depict an alternate future where Earth's Mightiest Heroes didn't come on top...
NEWS
At the 2:05 mark in Marvel's Exclusive Clip for the Loki Disney+ series, Loki appears in New York City, now completely wrecked and overgrown. In the background, many dilapidated and destroyed buildings are seen, including the ruins of the Avengers Tower.
WHAT THIS MEANS
With the Time Variance Authority very much involved with the Loki series, it is clear that various timelines and time travel will be explored in the show. Therefore, it could be speculated that the destruction of New York is an alternate timeline where the Avengers lost to Loki.
The specific location where Loki appears looks to be New York City's Central Park, judging by the surrounding greenery. Alternatively, the greenery could be a result of overgrowth, suggesting that the Avengers' loss during the Battle of New York may have occurred well before Loki arrives in the trailer. Either way, while NYC has been completely leveled, it is reassuring to know that at least a singular fire hydrant survived the carnage.
This could also mean that the Chitauri will return in Loki, now running rampant to cause havoc for the few remaining survivors. It should be noted that the design of the tower does resemble Avengers Tower more than Stark Tower from The Avengers, possibly suggesting that there is a possibility that this could alternatively follow a defeat after the events of Age of Ultron.
What Loki is doing in this timeline, and how he might rectify his other self's actions is unknown. The trailer suggests that the TVA will hire Loki as an agent to explore these temporal anomalies, so perhaps he could try to reason with this timeline's Loki to see the error in his ways. The damage seems to have already been done by the time Loki arrives, so perhaps he will have to go back even further to fix his mistakes or Ultron's world domination plans. It is also unknown whether any Avengers survived Loki's attack here, so perhaps Hawkeye or Thor could still be kicking around to give the God of Mischief some guidance, or an earful.
Ultimately, this haunting imagery of what might have been should entice fans for what dark and twisted avenues Loki could explore.
Loki will make his Disney+ debut, when the series launches in May 2021.
