The second season of Loki has established Tom Hiddleston’s villain as one of the best characters in the MCU. Whether hero or villain, no other MCU character can match up to Loki’s charisma on screen. Loki Season 2 concluded with a bang, as the God of Mischief, Tom Hiddleston, gave the ultimate sacrifice and proved himself as the ultimate hero, even declaring his big brother Thor. Before this episode, Loki had already challenged Josh Brolin’s Thanos as the best villain in the MCU. Now, he can be the best character in the MCU, full stop. No other MCU character has evolved or transformed as dramatically throughout so many films and TV episodes.
As the dust settles on this epic saga, let’s take a look at how Loki Season 2 brought the character full circle and gave Loki’s story a fitting conclusion. And as we are here, let’s discuss if there’s still room for Season 3.
Loki is Bringing it Full Circle The conclusion of Loki Season 2 is all about bringing Loki full circle. The title says it all. The finale and the series’ tagline are “Glorious Purpose.” We see Loki revisiting the events of the premiere with Owen Wilson’s Mobius, and he goes back to his original meeting. This episode is about seeing where Loki was before becoming what he has become.
In this process, the finale shows that Loki is far from the mischievous, self-serving deity he once was in the early days of the MCU. We remember how he coveted the throne of Asgard once upon a time. When his scheme to rule Asgard in 2011’s Thor failed, he tried to rule Midgard in 2012’s The Avengers. But now, he explicitly says, “The last thing I want is a throne.” Irony is that only after rejecting the throne, Loki finally earns the right to claim it.
This episode also featured a callback to the first Thor movie when Loki bids farewell to Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) alongside Mobius. He tells them, “For all time. You. Me. Us.” These words echo what Loki once said to Odin (Anthony Hopkins) when he attempted to destroy Jotunheim. The first time Loki said those words, he was a wayward son rejected by both his fathers, a deep and selfish conspirator. The second time, Loki has genuinely become a selfless hero willing to put everything on the line for the people he loves.
No other MCU character has undergone such a dramatic transformation and evolution, not even charismatic villains like Thanos or Killmonger. They remain captivating but are steadfast in their twisted (if understandable) beliefs and ultimately meet their demise.
On the opposite end of the moral spectrum, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is a character who doesn’t change much during his MCU journey. From the start, Steve is fundamentally a good man who wants to do right by the world and protect the vulnerable. This holds true when he was a scrawny kid in Brooklyn as well as when he was leading the charge against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame.
A close comparison would be with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Tony’s MCU journey began as a self-absorbed, self-indulgent individual who relished in making big, destructive weapons. He becomes a burdened man who is driven to guide humanity on a better path, wrestling with the human cost of his military-industrial empire. But even there, Tony Stark struggled with most aspects of his character.
No other MCU character has navigated the complexities and intricacies that Loki has in the Thor franchise, several Avengers films, and now the Loki series. Who he was and what he wanted back in the first Thor movie to what he has become by the end of Loki Season 2 is entirely different. He used to be an opportunist lusting for the throne, just as he yearned for his father’s approval. Now he is a time-traveling adventurer who genuinely feels love for his friends and is willing to bear the weight of the multiverse on his shoulders. And all of this is just the beginning of Loki’s final journey to claim his rightful place on the throne.
Loki, the Time Deity Loki’s Season 2 finale culminates in a powerful scene where Loki marches towards TVA’s Limbo and puts his life on the line to save the multiverse. Jonathan Majors’ “He Who Remains” had indeed set a clever trap. Loki’s save of Sylvie has been a misstep. Either Loki saves him, who remains, and allows a single sacred timeline to exist, or he realizes that the sprawling branches of timelines eventually overpower He Who Remains, and the entire existence is wiped away. Loki chose to explore the latter, and before the conclusion, he fulfills his promise.
As soon as Loki heads towards the TVA, we see that he has shed his TVA uniform and is now a humble, domestic clothed guardian. The only piece of clothing that showcases his divine, godly nature is the horned crown he wears. That crown is crafted from the same marble that He Who Remains used to build his crumbling palace. This is a Loki who is humble but burdened with a grand purpose.
MCU has always been ambiguous about whether Loki and his fellow Asgardians are truly gods or mere aliens who have inspired human myths and legends. In the end, it doesn’t really matter for Loki. He becomes a true god of time at this moment. He grasps many frayed threads of time and weaves them into a giant tree on which new timelines can branch and flourish. Loki has effectively constructed the mythical world tree, Yggdrasil. This version of Yggdrasil is a home to more than just nine realms. It’s a place where infinite timelines can coexist.
A distinctive feature of Norse mythological tales is the requirement for great sacrifices for great power. Odin, famously, sacrificed his body for wisdom, plucked out his eye and cast it into Mimir’s well, hung himself on Yggdrasil, and ultimately hung on Yggdrasil for an extended period. His painful sacrifices unlocked the full scope of knowledge and several incredible abilities.
Loki must go through a similar kind of sacrifice, albeit in a more metaphorical sense. Throughout most of the series, Loki is inspired by his affection for Sylvie and his bond with his friends. He can never bring himself to harm Sylvie, and in doing so, he saves what remains of her. But ultimately, Loki lets go of these personal attachments. He sacrifices his life and dedicates himself to solitude on the throne of time, indefinitely. By shedding all attachments to the impermanent world, he can become the god of time and protector of existence. His selfless sacrifice ensures that Sylvie, Mobius, and countless others can live their lives. Loki grants all beings free will. Like his brother Thor, Loki has become worthy of the power he has always desired.
Will There Be a Loki Season 3?
Marvel has not confirmed whether Season 2 serves as the conclusion of Loki’s series or not. It seems that the series has reached its endpoint. When your flagship character becomes the overseer of all variations, where do you go from there? Loki can’t simply back off from resolving the Time Variance Authority with Mobius and the squad. The way this episode brings together Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie’s various arcs hints at a definite closure.
Rumors suggest that Loki will appear in Deadpool 3 in 2024, and it remains to be seen how Loki’s conclusion might tie into it. After all, Deadpool 2’s conclusion was the Ryan Reynolds version of Wade Wilson traveling through time and rewriting events in the X-Men universe. The TVA is not in control of the timeline anymore. Instead, they’re assisting diversity to flourish and safeguarding against those who could jeopardize the natural flow of time.
Regarding Kang, he remains a major concern as the MCU gradually heads towards Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. While Loki may have saved the multiverse through his grand sacrifice, he failed to follow through with his promise to stop Kang from coming. This is a major issue. Old Loki modified the timeline, leaving the alternate versions of Kang to battle it out and prevent the Multiversal War.
And who knows? Perhaps we’ll see Loki taking a break from his time-keeping throne and directly engaging in the fight against Kang. As much as this series provides a fitting culmination to Loki’s character arc, it seems only right to witness him reuniting with Thor for one final reunion. Odin would be very proud of how far his brother has come.
Lastly, let’s not forget about Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Ravonna Renslayer. Her story ends on a very ambiguous note as she wakes up in the Void and takes a bath in an eerie purple glow. Is she consumed by Alioth? Or is someone coming to save her? We’ll be keeping our money on Kang saving her in several ways.
Talking about Kang, he remains a significant concern as the MCU gradually advances towards the Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. While Loki may have saved the multiverse through his grand sacrifice, he failed to follow through with his promise to stop Kang from coming. This is a major issue. Old Loki modified the timeline, leaving the alternate versions of Kang to battle it out and prevent the Multiversal War.
And who knows? Perhaps we’ll see Loki taking a break from his time-keeping throne and directly engaging in the fight against Kang. As much as this series provides a fitting culmination to Loki’s character arc, it seems only right to witness him reuniting with Thor for one final reunion. Odin would be very proud of how far his brother has come.
