Does ‘Loki’ Undermine the Deaths of 2 Key Avengers?
Even though it’s the third Disney+ show to tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki offers something new. The series might not exactly be the first Marvel Studios project to center on a (mostly) unsavory character. But it does add some fascinating wrinkles to the very notion of reality and time-space within the MCU. However, in doing so, does Loki undermine the deaths of two key characters in Avengers: Endgame? Let’s discuss.
[Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers for the first episode of Loki.]
‘Loki’ is a spinoff from Tom Hiddleston’s escape in ‘Avengers: Endgame’
As Marvel fans know, Loki picks up the character’s story after Avengers: Endgame. That film centers on a “time heist” in which the heroes journey throughout MCU history to reclaim the Infinity Stones and undo the damage caused by Thanos (Josh Brolin). But during a trip to the Battle of New York, the 2012 version of Loki — the one who just suffered epic defeat in The Avengers — manages to grab the Tesseract and slip away.
That Loki winds up apprehended by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), whose mission it is to maintain the sanctity of the “Sacred Timeline.” This organization essentially serves as a kind of S.H.I.E.L.D. for time travel. And the limitless implications of its introduction are likely a huge part of why Loki is earning so much praise so far. Yet, a detail at TVA headquarters has some fans concerned about how it affects the Avengers’ sacrifice.
Some Marvel fans believe the Disney+ series hurts the impact of that movie’s heroic deaths
In the first episode, the slippery god of mischief manages to temporarily escape his confinement at the TVA. And while searching for the Tesseract, he uncovers an entire desk drawer filled with Infinity Stones. For fans, this comes as a shock, considering how rare and powerful these items are considered in the MCU. The Tesseract itself has played a key role in several movies, even giving Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) her powers.
Certainly, the point here is how the TVA is above all that in a way. Loki confirm the TVA isn’t concerned with such trivial pursuits. In fact, Casey (Eugene Cordero) explains everyone has just collected drawers full of Infinity Stones, even sometimes using them as paperweights. While the contrast with the greater MCU is hilarious, some fans are uncomfortable with what this means for the Avengers who gave their lives for Stones.
Both Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) sacrifice their lives in Avengers: Endgame. And in the case of Natasha, the only goal was to acquire the Soul Stone. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) in Avengers: Infinity War dies for the same reason. Meanwhile, the TVA apparently has plenty of Stones to spare. Although the TVA is likely forbidden to interfere, this revelation still makes their heroic deaths sadly ironic.
How will ‘Loki’ affect the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Certainly, this is the first of many bits of new information fans will encounter on Loki. As the MCU leans into the multiverse, the nature of reality and the primary timeline is likely to blur significantly. The TVA serves as the vehicle to get MCU fans invested in just how wild the future of Phase 4 and beyond could be.
Even though Loki promises to complicate the MCU, some fans believe there’s a chance the Disney+ series could ultimately consolidate it as well. Right now, Marvel’s Netflix shows, all non-MCU film adaptations, and even TV series such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are not canon with the MCU. Perhaps that could change.
