The MCU has had some rough press over the past year. Many fans have complained that the MCU has been losing its Midas touch since Endgame. The past few movies and shows haven’t performed as well as hoped. But this Loki series shows that the MCU still has a lot left in the tank. This is Marvel Comics at its finest.
As an audience, we have followed this obscure character for the better part of ten years now. These past two seasons have shown us a different path this character could take. From the first Avengers, where he is the first big villain of the MCU. And to now, where we see Loki unpack the phrase “burden with glorious purpose.” This finale episode has three phases. #1. Trying to change the story #2 Truly Understanding the Gambit #3 The Burden of Purpose. Lastly, how does this affect the MCU now, and why does it stand out?
Loki’s Burden of Purpose
The episode starts with Loki rerunning the same scenario over and over again. Trying to save what he thought at the time, all of existence. Running the same loop for centuries, thinking he can change the immutable result. But soon realizes that this is the true gambit while talking to He Who Remains. Either kill Sophie, the woman he loves and keep the sacred timeline. Or find a way to save the multiverse, knowing that the Kangs could destroy everything even the sacred timeline.
He decided to change the equation before the Loom destroys all the other timelines to save the Sacred Timeline. Loki grabs as many timelines as he can, now maintaining the multiverse. Knowing this will eventually give the Avengers a chance to stop the Kang variants from destroying everything. The best line from the episode is when he talks to Mobius. “Most purpose is more burden than glory. And you never want to avoid it because you can’t live with the burden.” Loki decided to take on the burden of purpose and forgo the glory.
How Does This Effect the Future of the MCU
This series finale has also begun the greatest movie event the world has ever seen. Marvel is constantly building up to its main events, the Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. This episode has now set the stage up perfectly for those movies. Possible spoiler alert: but in the comics, Loki assembles the greatest team of Avengers to fight in a Multiversal War. This now sets up Loki as the new Tony Stark in the MCU. Leading a new set of characters to fight an impossible villain. This is going to be the reset the MCU most desperately needs. At least, this is a working theory.
The Best of the MCU
But back to the season finale. This is one of the MCU’s greatest stories they have ever told. To have a character arch that we have followed for over ten years and two seasons now. This is a feat we have never seen done before on screen. A movie character who then has a television series that will tie back into the movie series! Only in the MCU will you ever see that happen or even possible. The creators of this Loki series did such a phenomenal job. From the set designs, writing, acting, and directing. The creators of this show did not miss any details from Loki’s past. Even referencing lines from the first Thor movie.
Check out creators like “Heavy Spoiler Show” and “New Rockstars” for more examples. But to look back now and see how season one and season two all tie together is something to behold. It shows the MCU is far from finished.
