Moving on from the decade-long Infinity Stone-centric storyline, the Multiverse has become the biggest link connecting the current MCU. Having first been mentioned in Doctor Strange, the Multiverse was fully unraveled with the cliffhanger ending of Loki, used to bring back fan favorites in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and will once again be the driving force behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
After a season full of time travel, Variants, and surprises, the climactic episode of Loki introduced Jonathan Majors' He Who Remains as the man behind the curtain at the TVA. With his murder at the hands of Sylvie came countless consequences, setting the stage for Kang the Conqueror's entrance to the MCU and placing Tom Hiddleston's Loki in an alternate timeline TVA.
Loki Season 2 has yet to set an official release date, but filming is expected to begin this summer under Moon Knight directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. Naturally, many are expecting the plot to connect with the Multiverse-centric Doctor Strange sequel, with Loki even having been reported to appear in Multiverse of Madness.
Fans will have to wait and see if the God of Mischief pops up alongside Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch. But Loki and Doctor Strange 2 writer Michael Waldron teased just how connected Season 2 will be to Multiverse of Madness.
Doctor Strange 2 Writer Teases Loki Season 2 Connections
In an interview with The Playlist, Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron addressed how Season 2 of the Disney+ series will connect to the magical blockbuster.
When asked if Loki's second season is connected to Multiverse of Madness, Waldron revealed that "one thing certainly informs the other," but "it should be good enough that it stands on its own:"
"The headaches I have are probably intertwined. I mean, it’s all intertwined and it’s all stands alone. Like a great comic universe, I think that one thing certainly informs the other. You’re going to have a better time watching the next chapter of an MCU story if you’ve seen the stuff before it. But also, hopefully, even if you’ve never if you’ve walked in off the street, you’ll still have a blast. It should be good enough that it stands on its own."
The Multiverse guru said that he's "really proud" of how the Doctor Strange sequel came together, in response to being asked whether he was happy with the final result:
"I am. Yeah. Yeah. I am. I’m really proud of it."
Discussing his talent at avoiding giving spoiler-filled answers, Waldron said it comes from "a lot of practice," before going on to explain what it was like to make the Multiverse sequel during the pandemic:
"A lot of practice, man. A lot of practice. Look, that was 'Dr. Strange.' That feels like one long pandemic lockdown home video for me. To get to work with Sam Raimi and that crew and that cast. The circumstances under which we made that movie, you can’t help, but get incredibly close. And so, yeah. I think we made something we’re all really proud of."
Returning to the subject of Loki, Waldron revealed it was originally planned "as though it would just be one season." But the writer shared his belief that it's important for "each season to really stand alone," suggesting the second season may not rely on the first:
"No. Originally, I mean, I really conceive and wrote a lot of the show kind of operating as though it would just be one season, which is the best way to do these things. And frankly, this is how I would’ve operated, even if I had known we were going to get a second season. I think it’s important for each season to really stand alone as its own thing. And so, yeah, I mean, it became clear, even as we were making it and still kind of refining episode six, that it felt like hey, this cast, this world is great and wow, there’s a lot more gas left in the tank. And yeah, there is certainly more story to tell here. And so that’s when we sort of shifted some things."
The Loki writer went on to confirm that the season had "a million different endings" considered, including the "original one season-ending:"
"A million different endings. There’s always a different ending. But there was the original one season-ending, which I guess is just for me."
Waldron lastly said he is "totally" happy with the end result, sharing the credit for the finale with Eric Martin, with whom he wrote the climactic episode:
"Totally, totally. That’s great. A lot of that work was done in tandem with Eric Martin who was there on set. Because I was over lockdown in London, making 'Dr. Strange' in the pandemic, and Eric and I wrote the finale together, and he deserves a lot of the credit for that great final moment."
How Could Loki Connect to Doctor Strange 2?
Only time will tell whether Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief makes an appearance in Multiverse of Madness. But with Loki having been the series to finally open up the Multiverse, it's easy to see how he could fit into things, especially with Waldron handling writing duties on both.
Perhaps the Multiversal chaos that will plague Doctor Strange in his sequel may stem from the events of Loki, thereby forcing the sorcerer to turn to the TVA or the God of Mischief for help. But with the heroes of Loki still caught up in the cliffhanger of the season finale, connecting the two may be tough to do without creating a confusing Season 2 premiere.
While the Disney+ series may not directly tie into Multiverse of Madness, the highly-anticipated blockbuster is expected to have significant ramifications on the future of the MCU, and as such could influence Season 2 in unpredictable ways.
Marvel Studios has yet to make any definitive statements about what to expect from Loki Season 2, but fans can look forward to more announcements later in the year in the run-up to filming or perhaps at either D23 or San Diego Comic-Con.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6, and all six episodes of Loki are streaming now on Disney+.
