After five weeks of theories and agonizing waiting, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel to the Loki finale.
Last week's penultimate installment concluded with Loki and Sylvie approaching a portal out of the Void to the hiding place of the person truly behind the TVA. Meanwhile, Owen Wilson's Mobius was last seen heading back to the sinister organization to burn it to the ground.
Naturally, speculation is at an all-time high amongst fans regarding what twists and turns the finale may include. While, in classic Marvel fashion, the episode is shrouded in mystery, footage from the series' many trailers paints the picture of a blockbuster climax to Loki.
LOKI AND SYLVIE APPROACH THE CASTLE
The finale of Loki is rapidly approaching, and there are many scenes shown in the series' trailers that have yet to appear. These snippets offer viewers some clues as to what the climactic installment may hold.
In the first look at the destination of the portal hidden behind Alioth, Loki is exploring the destroyed castle belonging to the series' mystery antagonist.
The dark purple lighting of the grand hallways combined with the glowing cracks creates a horror-like setting with a true sense of fear.
Throughout all the shots, Loki is intriguingly alone, meaning he and Sylvie will likely separate to explore the castle.
Meanwhile, a character, who looks to be Sylvie, appears to be thrown in battle through a library-like room in front of a fireplace. Her drawn sword suggests the Goddess of Mischief was ready for the fight, but who exactly she will be taking on is a tough question.
Given the scale of the dark castle, one would assume that its owner would have some kind of powerful guard that will pose a great threat to Loki and Sylvie before they get the answers they're searching for.
RETURNING TO THE TVA
While Loki's next destination is clearly in the depths of space, a shot of a distressed God of Mischief looks to showcase his return to the TVA. If this is the case, perhaps his long-awaited embrace with Mobius wasn't goodbye after all as the iconic duo may reunite once more to “burn it to the ground.”
This conclusion is further supported by an additional shot that sees Loki in a purple-lit rocky setting, likely the mysterious castle, preparing to enter a TVA portal. Granted these portals have been used previously to travel all over the timeline, but logically the Telepad may be used in this case to take Loki back to where it all began.
Despite having headed to the castle with Sylvie, she is notably absent from this shot. As of now, it's hard to determine whether the two have been separated at this point in the story, or if she simply entered the portal before him.
Alternatively, some have noted the similarities in style between this shot and the scene in which Loki and Sylvie depart Lamentus-1 in the opening of the fourth episode. Marvel Studios' trailers often feature earlier or alternate versions of visual effects to the final cut, meaning this may come from an earlier episode.
MOBIUS VS RENSLAYER
With Mobius on his way back to the TVA, it looks as if he'll face some resistance to his efforts. The former analyst is shown armed with a melt stick and ready for a fight.
Wilson's comedic character appears set to go toe-to-toe with his former colleague, Ravonna Renslayer, while Loki and Sylvie take on whoever is truly pulling all the strings.
Based on this shot, it looks as though the TVA Judge will have him on the ropes, but will Mobius be able to avoid being sent back to the Void?
The showdown certainly appears to be taking place within Renslayer's own office, so it seems Mobius will be the one taking the fight to her as he aims to destroy the organization that took his life away.
THE THRONE OF ASGARD
Naturally, all the previously discussed plot points could be expected based on the cliffhanger ending of “Journey Into Mystery.” But one thing nobody predicted was a return to Asgard, and yet the God of Mischief looks to be sporting his outfit from 2012's The Avengers in front of the Asgardian throne.
With Hiddleston's Loki seemingly ascending to take the throne, there are several possibilities for how this could happen. On one hand, if the series' leading mischievous scamp is truly redeemed for good, this could be yet another Loki Variant.
Alternatively, assuming the series' heroes are successful in destroying the TVA, there would be nobody left to stop the God of Mischief from returning to the timeline to try and claim the throne.
One of the multiverse realities featured in the upcoming What If...? series is said to see the God of Mischief finally rule his homeland as he had always desired. With Loki already exploring alternate timelines, the Disney+ epic may set the stage for the animated venture by teasing some scenarios it will delve into.
IS THAT STARK TOWER?
Asgard doesn't appear to be the only classic MCU location to be revisited in the highly-anticipated finale, as Loki was once again shown to be donning his villainous 2012 outfit, this time within Stark Tower.
While it's hard to establish many specifics from this brief look, the God of Mischief appears to have returned to Iron Man's luxury tower prior to the damage caused by the Battle of New York.
Assuming this isn't yet another Loki variant up to no good, Hiddleston's former villain may be returning to New York — equipped with the knowledge of how he was originally defeated — to ensure things play out differently.
LEAVING THE SOLAR SYSTEM
During a trailer released to celebrate the series premiere, a brief clip showed a camera speedily zooming through the universe, starting from Earth as the planet orbited the Sun at a rapid pace.
The camera even travels outside the Milky Way, with several satellites still visible out with our galaxy. In a clever reference from Marvel, one satellite looks to resemble Voyager 1, the first human-made object to have left the solar system to enter interstellar space.
However, this isn't the only sequence shown to take place in a cosmic-looking setting. One beautiful shot highlights an odd-shaped rock surrounded by a bright ring in space. Many fans have theorized this may be the setting of the castle behind the portal that Loki and Sylvie were last shown disappearing into.
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE LOKI FINALE?
Unfortunately, the shots from the finale released so far are extremely disjointed, making it hard to create a picture of any specific storylines. If one thing is clear, it's that Loki's heroes will be taken to an expansive range of locations throughout the finale on their mission to take down the TVA.
As the God of Mischief confronts whoever the mysterious founder of the TVA could be, it seems Mobius will have his hands just as full as he takes on Renslayer in a tragic battle. With the two former friends reuniting for the first time since the Judge's betrayal, it will be interesting to see how that conversation may go. Since neither has a definitive MCU future insight, the fate of both is more uncertain than ever.
What's even more confusing is how Loki will once again don his 2012 royal attire and return to New York. Given that What If...? will reportedly feature a version of the Asgardian on the throne, perhaps Marvel Studios' first animated outing will be less of a standalone anthology than had been expected.
The first five episodes of Loki are streaming now, while the finale drops this Wednesday, exclusively on Disney+.
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