Loki and the Future of the MCU

Welcome back to the new school year! To kick off a new year, I thought I would look at one of my favorite releases of the summer: Loki by Marvel Studios. (Rated TV-14)

Loki is the third show to be released in the MCU, and it definitely holds its own. Similar to WandaVision, Loki is complex and unique to the superhero genre, with the show following a new timeline immediately after Loki changed history in Avengers Endgame. It opens with Loki escaping with the tesseract only to be caught by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), bureaucrats in charge of protecting the proper flow of time. As events unfold, the audience and characters dig deeper into the mystery of the TVA. Who is really in charge, and who gets to dictate the story of time? I promise you, it’s more complicated than you might expect.

Loki is a story about finding your place, loss, new beginnings, and change. This is mostly dealt with through Loki’s own character arc, as he grows from playing the villain to becoming a hero in his own right, meets new allies, like Mobius and Sylvie, and explores a new side of the MCU. One of the strengths of the show is how the characters are developed. Loki goes through most of his character arc from the original story in almost a single episode; while Mobius and most of the TVA members discover who they really are throughout the season. Each arc is handled well and they all tie together to form a beautiful plot. The script itself is fast paced and exciting, with each new episode resolving some problems while opening up a whole new set of questions. It is definitely an engaging show that will keep you hooked to the very end.

That being said, Loki is not a show that you can pick up right off the bat, without having any knowledge of the Marvel universe. Loki takes a deeper dive into some of the more complicated parts of the MCU, so some level of prior knowledge is required for the best experience. Overall Loki has a fantastic cast of characters, engaging plot, talented actors, and stunning visuals and soundtrack to back it up.

Warning: spoilers ahead! Click to reveal

The finale of Loki has launched the MCU into a new era altogether, stepping into something bigger than it was before. The finale of this show gives viewers a chance to see the opening of the multiverse in a whole new light. While it has been hinted at before, the official opening of the multiverse opens the MCU to infinite possibilities. We get to see the universe open up on a cosmic scale, paving the way for new heroes and villains to rise, with new stories to be told and new challenges to be faced. New problems have arisen, and it will take a new caliber of hero to protect the world and the universe as we know it. We already have a few glimpses of what is ahead, through Spiderman No Way Home and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. It is safe to say that the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe holds something more epic than ever!

Season One of Loki is available on Disney+, with Season 2 in the works.

MAYA OEVERMAN

Editor Emeritus at The City Voice | MIPA Honorable Mention Award Winner

I am a Senior at City and I normally write the weekly book reviews! If I'm not reading, you can usually find me at the barn riding and taking care of the horses.