Even as new shows continue to hit the platform, Loki stands out as one of Marvel's best Disney+ projects. Fans are eagerly awaiting Season 2, and, as the 2023 release date inches closer, D23 attendees were given an early look at the return of the God of Mischief.
Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, and Owen Wilson nailed their portrayals of Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius, respectively, and there's plenty to be excited about regarding their return. With The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars hanging on the horizon, the new season will be some of the first steps taken towards a showdown with Kang the Conqueror.
Early footage seems to be hitting closer to familiar ground though, according to reports from those who've seen it.
Loki References the Avengers and Kang's Looming Threat
In the final stinger of the new Loki Season 2 footage, a mirror of an iconic scene from the first season plays out. Mobius and Loki talk over lunch, but this time it's not a vision of Ragnarök conveyed via salad that occupies their conversation.
While the scene is clearly intended as a call back for Season 1, it also serves as a key reminder of what's changed. The death of He Who Remains has fractured the timeline, and now locations within the TVA that should be familiar have a different look and carry a different feel than they did before.
Across the lunch table, Loki references some familiar MCU characters who've had a less than stellar opinion of him, including the founding Avengers Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor, among others:
Loki: “I don’t want you to think I’m the bad guy in all this.”
Mobius: “Who says you were?”
Loki: “Iron Man. Captain America. Hulk. Black Widow. Hawkeye. Phil Coulson. Thanos. Nick Fury. My father. My brother. Miss Minutes. You.”
Mobius: “Hm.”
The conversation also serves to convey the journey Loki's undertaken, as fans will recall the TVA he ended Season 1 in was not the one he remembered, and the Mobius there didn't recognize him. He attempts to explain, and in doing so references the coming struggle with Kang the Conqueror:
“This is gonna sound strange. I’ve been pulled through time and I saw terrible, awful things. This is about everything, because nothing can stand between this world and utter destruction. War is on its way.”
The trailer ends with Mobius asking “A little over the top, don’t you think?” to which Loki replies "I thought it was spot on.” This dialogue is most certainly pulled from another scene, perhaps one where Loki is doing an impression or recalling another story, or perhaps from the segment where the pair change into Classic Hollywood-style tuxedos.
Loki Season 2 Tangos With The Uncanny
From what info has been gathered about Season 2 of Loki (especially when combined with how the first season ended), it's clear that even familiar territory will carry an entirely different vibe. Indeed, this disconnect between how things are and how they should be will likely play a key role in the presentation of the narrative as well as the story itself.
While the MCU has dabbled with this kind of storytelling before—most notably in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness—the very nature of Loki means it's going to be thrust into center stage. Even the main character isn't exactly who viewers perceive him to be, given that he's a variant and not the original Loki that fans followed from Thor until his death in Avengers: Infinity War.
Where the story will take Loki, Sylvie, and the new version of Mobius is really anyone's guess, though it seems safe to say from the God of Mischief's ominous warning of a coming war that Kang will loom heavily over the series. Fans can probably expect actual appearances from the villain to be rare (if they happen at all), though, as there's a long way to go until the final showdown at the end of Phase 6.
The temporal warlord will likely hang over the trio's head as a threat just beyond sight. a portent of certain doom as yet unrealized. There's some incredible room for storytelling in the tension of a ticking clock. Loki introduced viewers to the threat of Kang and kicked open the door to the Multiverse Saga, so it only stands to reason that the continuation of the series will continue to spin the thread of that particular tale.
For now though, the mysteries of time remain just that: mysteries. For those with their eyes on the clock, Loki Season 2 is set to debut in mid-2023, only on Disney+.
