Loki Season 2 is wasting no time in connecting to other MCU Disney+ series, particularly Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight.
While Marvel Studios' streaming library and much of Phase 4 and 5 have been criticized for their lack of interconnectivity, the same can't be said for 2021's Loki which introduced both the Multiverse and Kang the Conqueror.
Now, it seems the hit series' second season will continue that trend as early as Episode 1.
Loki Season 2's Moon Knight Easter Egg
A scene from Loki Season 2's debut episode revealed a connection between the God of Mischief's next chapter and Marvel Studios' Moon Knight.
Near the end of the new Disney+ clip, Casey, a TVA clerk first seen in Season 1, is confirmed to be listening to the Staying Awake podcast; this is what Steven Grant listened to in Moon Knight Episode 1.
When Casey removes his headphones in the video, the audience hears "Solving puzzles is a great way to keep your mind..."
That's exactly what audiences hear as Oscar Issac's Steven Grant plays with a Rubik's cube in bed as he struggles to stay awake.
Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time Marvel Studios drew a connection between Loki and Moon Knight, and it's possible that it won't be the last.
In Moon Knight Episode 3, Marc Spector fights a thug wearing a jacket bearing Kang's colors and with an Egyptian pharaoh design on the back, a confirmed reference to the Kang Variant Rama-Tut.
You can watch the full Loki clip below, with the Moon Knight podcast able to be heard at the 2:24 mark:
While Moon Knight Season 2 has yet to be announced, an industry insider heard rumors of intentions for Kang's involvement in the series' second season.
However, this rumor was reported prior to Jonathan Majors' arrest and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
The Reason for Loki's Moon Knight Callback
So why is Casey listening to Moon Knight's Staying Awake podcast?
One possibility is personal in that Casey himself either needs or wants to stay awake for reasons Season 2 may reveal.
But another more intriguing possibility is a link between the TVA and the events of Moon Knight.
For instance, perhaps Casey was assigned to monitor Moon Knight's Steven Grant/Marc Spector. After all, Isaac's heroes engaged with gods, the afterlife, and other significant undertakings throughout the show's run, and that could've easily threatened the timeline.
Also, as Moon Knight's own Easter egg suggested, Kang does have a connection to Egypt, warranting TVA surveillance of Steven Grant/Marc Spector's activities.
Or, just like in Season 1, perhaps Casey encountered the Staying Awake podcast via a device confiscated by the TVA, just like the Infinity Stones and that sling ring.
Whether Season 2 will shed further light on this Easter Egg is unknown, but it does confirm a connection between the two shows.
Plus, due to Loki's importance to the current MCU, it's unlikely this tie between the Tom Hiddleston-led series and the MCU's other streaming narratives will be the last.
Loki Season 2 premieres Thursday, October 5 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.
