Loki head writer Eric Martin confirmed a fan theory about the MCU show's Season 2 ending on Disney+.

Tom Hiddleston's titular antihero made the biggest sacrifice of his 12-year MCU tenure in the Loki Season 2 finale, taking on the duty of guarding the Sacred Timeline to keep He Who Remains at bay.

Hiddleston even admitted that his character's moment in the finale "was wholly appropriate and...very moving," with Loki now holding a place as one of the most important figures across the entire Multiverse with this new job.

Loki Writer Confirms Season 2 Ending Idea

Loki Season 2 head writer Eric Martin compared the conclusion of Loki's story in the latest season of his Disney+ show to that of the legendary Greek figure, Atlas.

Martin told Esquire that the idea for Season 2 was to have Loki evolve "from a lowercase-g god, to a capital-G God," powering up his "wisdom and knowledge" while giving him a new responsibility that allows the Multiverse's inhabitants to live:

"The big idea was taking Loki from a lowercase-g god, to a capital-G God, powering him up to that place where he gets his throne—but it’s not a throne he wants anymore. This is a duty. He’s doing this so everyone else can have their lives. He’s giving up the thing that he wants most so that everyone else can have their free will… We wanted to power up his abilities, but also his wisdom and knowledge."

"I leave that up to interpretation. That final image is meant to be ambiguous. So I’ll let people make up their own minds there. If you look into mythology, someone like Atlas is an interesting person to look at with that."

In the comics, Dormammu, the evil ruler of the Dark Dimension whom Doctor Strange famously battles, sends a parasitic entity down to Earth. The entity goes on to possess multiple misogynistic men throughout history and make them serial killers, including the real-life Jack the Ripper. The entity eventually takes over Brad, as Zaniac is a film about a serial killer who violently targets women, a role Brad takes literally after his possession. Following Brad's eventual death, Zaniac possesses Thug Thatcher, whose most notable offense is murdering Jane Foster.

Despite his powers, Zaniac is easily defeated by Thor in the comics. Similarly, Brad is subdued quickly by Loki in episode 2. Though Brad tries to escape when Loki and Mobius find him, Loki captures him with magic and returns him to the TVA. He proceeds to interrogate Brad to find out Sylvie's location, even leaning into Brad's taunting of him as a villain.

Despite being an annoying foil, MCU Brad displays no evil intentions or harmful views towards women. He only seems determined to return to his normal life on the Sacred Timeline, having become disillusioned with the TVA and its mission. The Loki version of Zaniac is merely a minor obstacle that the main character has to intimidate. He's a far cry from the powerful, possessed serial killer familiar to comic book readers.

Why Loki's Zaniac Changes Are Probably Smart

Considering his rich history in the comics, Loki could have expanded Zaniac's role, making him a much more horrifying threat. The show also could have included how he ultimately transforms from starring in a film about a villain named Zaniac to assuming the mantle of Zaniac in his real life. However, the changes the MCU made to his character are probably for the best.

Loki has multiple external forces and motivations acting upon him this season. He's already had to find Sylvie and still needs to fully reconcile with her. Loki's also dealt with his time slipping and working to prevent reality from breaking apart as the Sacred Timeline branches uncontrollably. Adding another villain to his story likely would have overcomplicated the plot, especially since Loki season 2 already has the TVA and Kang.

Considering the history of Zaniac's character and his abhorrent behavior towards women, there was an opportunity to tell a timely story about toxic masculinity. However, Loki is generally lighter in tone and such a story would have been difficult to pull off. Instead, Brad can simply serve as a fun nod to the comics.

Why Zaniac Is A Way Bigger Deal In Marvel Comics

What to Expect in Loki Season 2?

Throughout his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki has been portrayed as a diabolical villain, a reluctant hero, and everything in between. However, one side of Loki that has yet to be fully explored is his Frost Giant heritage. Like his comic counterpart, the MCU's Loki was born to the Frost Giants as the son of King Laufey, adopted by Odin and raised in Asgard.

As an on-screen character, Loki has developed from a villain looking to take down his brother Thor to a time-jumping variant trying to capture another version of himself. Being the god of mischief has allowed him to display not only his high intellect but a whole host of magical powers including astral projection, energy blasts, and even teleportation. However, one thing MCU fans have yet to see is Loki's Frost Giant Powers.

Loki Would Become More Formidable With Frost Giant Powers

The MCU May Have a Reason for Ignoring Loki's Frost Giant Powers

The MCU may be hesitant to give Loki his Frost Giant powers because of the development and popularity of the character over the years. The soundest reason for this may be because Loki has been firmly established as a vital part of the Asgardian world. It makes sense for the character to shy away from his Frost Giant heritage because he fought so hard to become an accepted part of his adopted family. Whether it was the acceptance of his adopted father Odin or, more importantly, the love and respect of his brother Thor, Loki's connection to Asgard trumps his birth roots as a Frost Giant.

New Loki merchandise images just surfaced online, and they contain previously unrevealed information about Season 2's storylines.

The images come courtesy of CoveredGeekly. They include artwork of Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) wearing a spacesuit (implying he'll go on a jaunt among the stars at some point) and Time Variance Authority posters. The posters range from anti-Loki propaganda (carrying the slogan "This is bigger than the TVA. This is about everything.") to sinister workplace notices dictating how TVA agents should communicate and even how much pie they should eat. Aside from backing up previous reports that Loki Season 2 will pit its titular protagonist against the TVA, the posters also indicate that the organization itself will become more authoritarian in the show's next batch of episodes. That said, it's worth noting that any plot details seemingly gleaned from the Loki merchandise artwork remain pure speculation for now.

According to a new rumor, Jonathan Majors' Kang will have multiple Variants show up in Season Two of Tom Hiddleston's Loki series on Disney+.

The Loki-centric MCU project first aired in 2021, where it introduced the foreboding character of He Who Remains, played by Majors. In the first season's finale, the questionable character warned the God of Mischief about himself and the consequences of the Multiverse being free.

With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the world is about to get its first look at what exactly he was talking about. Paul Rudd's Scott Lang will have to go up against none other than Kang the Conqueror, a "warrior version" of the He Who Remains.

Now, before Loki's second season finally arrives, new whispers revealed some exciting new information about what fans can expect regarding the presence of the MCU's big bad.

More Kang for Loki

Industry insider Daniel Richtman revealed some new rumored details on Jonathan Majors' role in Loki's second season.

On his Patreon, Richtman noted that "there will be multiple Kang variants in Loki Season Two."

Additionally, a week ago, he shared that "Jonathan Majors recently filmed more scenes" for the project.

It's important to note that all of this information is a rumor, and none has been officially confirmed by either Marvel Studios or Disney.

Will Loki See the Real Kang?

After the first season's ending, it seemed inevitable, much like Thanos himself, that Tom Hiddleston's leading character would be running into more of He Who Remains' Variants at some point.

The bigger question is more so when any version of Majors' villain will show up during the season. Will it be throughout the season, or will audiences have to wait until the finale once again?

Additionally, could the second season connect to Ant-Man: Quantumania in any way? 

Maybe Hiddleston will get the meet the Variant of Kang who went up against the Ant-Family. But if he does, then that probably doesn't bode too well for Scott Lang.

If the rumor of more than one Kang is true, then this will be the first time fans see multiple versions of Majors' villain in one project, as opposed to them being spread across different versions. It opens the doors to lots of awesome storytelling potential—fingers crossed that Marvel Studios is able to utilize it best they can.

Loki is set to air its second season at some point this summer.

Disney has released a collectible pin depicting multiple Lokis ahead of Loki Season 2's debut on Disney+.

Even though Loki's sophomore season isn't set to release until Summer 2023, anything related to the series is worth paying attention to. 

Not only is this first-ever second season of an MCU Disney+ series shrouded in secrecy, but Loki Season 1 also stands as one of Phase 4's most integral projects in that it introduced Variants, timelines, Multiversal Wars, and Kang the Conqueror.

Despite a handful of teasers and on-set photos, it's still anyone's guess as to what the God of Mischief is in for this time around. 

But out ahead of Marvel Studios' 2023 slate, Disney unveiled a Loki collectible with ties to Season 1 and potentially Season 2.

Disney Releases Loki Family Merchandise 

A Disney pin featuring characters from Loki on Disney+, and shared via the Disney Pins Blog, was released in the last week of December at the Disney Parks. 

Titled the "Loki Family Pin," the artwork depicts a number of Lokis in animated form. 

In addition to the MCU's prime version of Loki, the pin features Sylvie and Miss Minutes at the TVA, along with Loki variants from Episode 5's The Void, including Boastful Loki, President Loki, Kid Loki, Classic Loki, and even Alligator Loki. 

While Prime Loki, Sylvie, Miss Minutes, and a version of the TVA are confirmed to return in Season 2, recent marketing has shown the possibility of additional Loki Variants as well. 

This particular pin is an open edition at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World and the retail price is $17.99.

Will Loki Variants Return in Season 2?

Given the popularity of Loki Season 1, the marketing and merchandising for Season 2 will likely be greater than past MCU projects on Disney+; and this collectible pin is only the beginning. 

It is interesting that Disney chose Loki Variants for its "Family" line of Disney pins and against the background of the TVA, especially since The Void's Loki Variants were never shown at that location.

While it's likely that this pin is simply inspired by Season 1, it's worth noting that past Variants of the God of Mischief could return alongside new ones.

Of them all, President Loki is the most likely since he's played by Tom Hiddleston, but Jack Veal's Young Loki is also a contender since Marvel Studios has been quietly assembling a team of Young Avengers throughout Phase 4. 

And, if he returns, the odds are in favor of his companion and ever-popular Alligator Loki making a comeback as well. 

Fans curious about Loki Season 2 and its potential cameos should keep an eye on any additional merchandise released ahead of its summer premiere.

Season 2 of Loki debuts on Disney+ in Summer 2023.

First on the list is What If…?. This animated MCU streaming series debuted back in late Summer 2021 and ended up being a bit of a mishmash. While fans were excited for What If…? Season 1 and remain excited for Season 2, it sits at the bottom of the list simply because it did not live up to the potential for a project such as this.

 Aside from a few entertaining enough jaunts across alternate realities with some beloved Marvel characters, this series did little more than provide some Saturday morning cartoon-style fun. Nearly every episode suffered from pacing problems as Marvel Studios tried jamming - at times - an entire movie's worth of plot into a short 20-minute episode. The potential for excellence was here, but most would agree it did little to meet it. 

7.) She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

The newest of the MCU Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law showed fans what a Marvel Studios legal comedy (a la Allie McBeal) would look like. It was a divisive debut for Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters, to say the least, with many not jiving with the idea of a procedural comedy taking place within this super-powered franchise.

Its deconstruction of the comic book genre quickly became a hot topic amongst the MCU faithful. But highlights like Daredevil popping up, an ultra-meta finale, and, of course, Madisynn, make She-Hulk a creative, light-hearted journey worth taking. However, it is one that likely won't stick with the audience long after they finish watching. 

6.) The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Coming up at number six is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This streaming epic showcased Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) dealing with the loss of Captain America and crowning a predecessor to Cap. The series thrived when focusing on its main characters with Sam’s internal conflict being some of the more interesting aspects of the project, with some comparing it to MCU blockbusters like Captain America: Winter Soldier.

But with a lackluster villain plot, that was noticeably chopped together because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a whiffed Power Broker twist, that left fans with a bad taste in their mouths, it feels like TFATWS could have had higher highs than it ultimately did. Audiences have hope though as the best parts of this series have multiple big-screen projects coming in the near future.

5.) Ms. Marvel

Next up on the list is Ms. Marvel. This Disney+ delight introduced the world to first-time actor Iman Vellani as she took on the role of fan-favorite Kamala Kahn. Ms. Marvel was beloved by most fans, starting off with one of the best MCU Disney+ premieres and featuring some of the most emotionally touching moments in franchise history.

However, the reason it sits right below that top tier is that the style that made the first few episodes special was noticeably absent as the series went on. That along with a weak villain plotline made this fall a little flat for some. Luckily, this is only the start for the charming Miss Vellani. 

4.) Moon Knight

The Oscar Isaac-led Moon Knight sits firmly in the number four spot on this list. Moon Knight thrilled audiences in its first and third acts, but it was in the middle few episodes that it fell off just a bit.

The exciting introduction of Steven Grant and Marc Spector will be a moment hard to forget in MCU lore, drawing comparisons to the films of directors like Christopher Nolan or David Fincher. And the trippy conclusion, that saw the addition of a third personality in Jake Lockley, had fans eager to see more. But it was in those middle few installments that Moon Knight kind of got lost, feeling like it had a lack of direction at points. 

3.) Hawkeye

Occupying the third-place spot is the Holiday-themed Hawkeye. This festive epic adapted the popular Matt Fraction line of Hawkeye comics, doing so in an exciting fashion. The series was carried on the backs of its two leads Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremey Renner. The duo was magical on-screen, to say the least. Add in that another fan-favorite in Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova showed up, along with the reintroduction of Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin, and Hawkeye made for a great deal of fun week-to-week.

It gets the bronze medal simply because it lacked the universe-altering stakes, and just overall better execution, of the shows in the number one or two spots. But it was a splendid boots-on-the-ground Marvel story, 

2.) WandaVision

Coming in as the runner-up for the best MCU Disney+ series thus far is the one that started it all. WandaVision proved to many skeptical fans that the Marvel Studios formula could work in a streaming/TV format. Taking in WandaVision as it aired was an experience one will soon not forget. Whether it was all the Mephisto theories, the Ralph Bohner revelation, or Monica Rambeau’s aerospace engineer friend, there was plenty to dissect. 

WandaVision's production value and execution were top-notch. Aside from falling a little flat in its closing chapter, it is still some of the best MCU fun one can have. It was one part Marvel epic, one part ode to TV history, and all parts awesome.

1.) Loki

Sitting high atop the Marvel Disney+ throne is Season 1 of Loki. This Multiversal epic was the closest thing to a Marvel Studios big-screen blockbuster that fans have gotten in streaming series form. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki (or, at least, the one from 2012’s The Avengers) shined in the role, yet again, as he found himself between time and space, joined alongside by delightful additions to the MCU cast in Owen Wilson's Mobius, and Sophia Di Martino’s Loki Variant Sylvie.

For those that had wished there were more canon-shattering revelations in the MCU Disney+ shows, Loki delivered. Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie shattered the Sacred Timeline in the series finale, making what was/is to come in the Multiverse Saga possible. Plus, the series also offered fans their first look at the MCU’s next Avengers-level threat in Jonathan Major’s He Who Remains (aka Kang the Conqueror), whose terrifying brand of charisma was truly something special. 

Loki was a near-perfect mix of everything Marvel Studios excels at, delivering a gripping story, engaging characters, and dynamic connections to the extended universe. It is the standard by which other MCU streaming series can and should be measured. 

Marvel's Streaming Age Has Begun

Eight Marvel streaming projects down, and so many more to go. The MCU is in the streaming age now. Pandora’s Box has been opened, and there is no going back.

These series have proven to be not only supplemental looks at lesser-known or oft-forgotten characters but also have shown that they are vital parts of the overall MCU story being told.

Be on the lookout as this list grows and changes with every coming Disney+ title. Where will Secret Invasion, Ironheart, or Daredevil: Born Again sit on this list? Check back to find out!

Loki's Season 2 TV rating has just been revealed, and it will likely disappoint any Marvel fans who were hoping the second season of the Disney+ series might venture into darker territory.

According to The Direct, Loki Season 2 has been rated TV-14, which is the same rating Season 1 received back in 2021. The second season of What If...? also landed a TV-14 rating. Almost all of Marvel Studios' Disney+ series have been rated TV-14, essentially PG-13 for television, except for Ms. Marvel and I Am Groot, which received TV-PG ratings since they were aimed at younger audiences. Marvel is expected to debut its first TV-MA show with the animated series Marvel Zombies.

Not much is known about Loki Season 2, which will once again star Tom Hiddleston as the God of Mischief. Loki's Season 1 finale saw the titular character and his female variant Sylvie meet He Who Remains, a Kang the Conqueror variant. Sylvie ended up killing He Who Remains before sending Loki back to Time Variance Authority headquarters. Despite initially appearing to be the same TVA, Loki learned that his colleagues B-15 and Mobius no longer recognized him with the finale teasing that a new Kang variant was now in charge of the TVA instead of He Who Remains.

Loki Set Photos Have Teased Potential Storylines

With Season 2 having been filming since June 2022, set photos have leaked online that hint at where Loki is heading in its sophomore run. Sylvie actor Sophia Di Martino has been spotted filming in a retro McDonald's uniform from the 1970s outside a period-appropriate McDonald's restaurant set, suggesting that the new season will once again visit different points in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. A set video has also shown Hiddleston's Loki, in his Season 1 TVA uniform, battling an invisible threat that will most likely be enhanced with CGI. Set photos have also hinted that Season 2 might see Owen Wilson's Mobius M. Mobius finally own and ride a jet ski.

Filmmaking duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead directed the majority of Loki Season 2, after impressing Marvel with their work on Moon Knight. All six episodes were written by Eric Martin, who took over as head writer on Loki from Michael Waldron, who remains attached as an executive producer.

Loki Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney+. Season 2 does not yet have an official release date, but is expected to arrive in Summer 2023 as part of the MCU's Phase 5 slate.

Thor: Love and Thunder is unique among the Thor films because it is the only one not to feature the God of Mischief in any capacity. Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, has been a staple of these films since the beginning. However, since the original version of the character died in Avengers: Infinity War, and an alternate version wanders the multiverse in Loki, it’s understandable that the character doesn’t return for the franchise’s fourth installment.

But one can’t help but feel something is missing without Thor and Loki’s brotherly dynamic. The evolution of their relationship is one of the strongest story threads throughout the first three Phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, without it, Love and Thunder feels a bit empty.

The backbone of the first Thor was built on Thor and Loki. Their relationship formed from the 1000+ years they have spent growing up together. But the revelation that Loki is a frost giant breaks the God of Mischief, as he thinks he could never live up to Odin’s “real” son, Thor. And that sets Loki on a dark path, ostracizing him from his brother and the rest of his family.

However, Thor never gives up on him. Sure, the pair have frequently fought in the MCU, but even after Loki begins his conquest of Earth in The Avengers, Thor’s first action is to implore him to return home as his brother. Even in Thor: The Dark World, the brothers' complicated relationship is a dramatic driving force throughout that film.

But the moment their relationship crescendos is in Thor: Ragnarok. Loki is no longer obsessed with a desire to rule -- he got that wish pretending to be Odin on the throne of Asgard. Instead, he is simply trying to survive. However, the most interesting part of Ragnarok is that after centuries of fighting, Thor and Loki finally start to understand each other.

And just when they finally reach this point, Thanos’ ship attacks, and the Mad Titan kills Loki. It’s a wonderfully tragic end to their relationship. But that’s the problem -- the rest of the story keeps going. Thor could have used his brother's help to fight Gorr or even as a shoulder to cry on about his issues with Jane. Instead, the God of Thunder is without his best friend, and his movie suffers because of it.

See how Loki is missing from the God of Thunder's fourth film in Thor: Love and Thunder, playing in theaters now.

Ms. Marvel on Disney+ was a first for Marvel Studios in a number of ways. In addition to featuring Marvel's first Pakistani superhero, Ms. Marvel was a coming-of-age series that focused on family and real-world history and heritage in conjunction with the fictional and cosmic. While the hit series set the stage for future stories to come, Ms. Marvel also connected to past MCU stories and, particularly, the Disney+ series Loki in more ways than one. 

In addition to both shows boasting high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and amongst fans and critics alike, Loki and Ms. Marvel's series runs were almost exactly a year apart. While Episode 1 of Loki premiered on June 9, 2021 and concluded on July 14, 2021, Ms. Marvel debuted on June 8, 2022 while its finale aired on July 13, 2022. 

But there's something else that these two series share, and that's writer and producer Bisha K. Ali. And, now that Ms. Marvel has come and gone, Ali has opened up about a Ms. Marvel Easter egg that she hid in a pivotal episode of Loki.  

Ms. Marvel Producer Discloses Loki Easter Egg

Before Bisha K. Ali was the head writer for Ms. Marvel, she served as one of the writers for Loki and the executive story editor for Episode 3, titled "Lamentis."

During this episode, Loki and Sylvie were trapped on the doomed moon Lamentis-1 and journeyed to the city of Shuroo in hopes of escaping on an evacuating ship called the Ark. 

After having met with Marvel Studios about working on Ms. Marvel, Ali revealed on Twitter that she hid a Pakistani Ms. Marvel Easter egg into her Loki episode as it "was the start of something new for me:"

"The Urdu I snuck into Loki is on Lamentis - the city of شروع . Shuroo means 'to start' or 'the start' - and it's the start of something new for L & S: a transformation. And writing that ep was the start of something new for me (I had already met for MM & was feeling hopeful.)" 

 Urdu is the official language of Pakistan. Not only is it the native language of Kamala Khan's family, but in the Ms. Marvel finale, Kamala's father revealed that the Urdu word "Kamal" means "wonder" or "marvel." Therefore, this is how Kamala Khan gets her superhero name, Ms. Marvel.

An Easter Egg of Glorious Purpose?

Easter eggs and connections are one of Marvel Studios' many signatures, but who knew that a year before Ms. Marvel graced the Disney+ interface that a reference to Kamala Khan and Pakistan was already part of the MCU? 

While fans love scenes like Ms. Marvel's AvengerCon which is bursting with references and connections to the wider MCU, Bisha K. Ali's hidden gem in Loki is powerful because it's personal. 

It shows that there was an actual parallel between both Ali and Loki and Sylvie's journeys, and she was able to use something that was personal and to her - and to the future Ms. Marvel's - to encapsulate that. 

It's no secret that the MCU is a connected universe, but thanks to this reveal, fans now know that those connections aren't limited to its on-screen characters and events but to its creators as well. 

All episodes of Ms. Marvel are available to stream on Disney+.