10 Loki Theories That The MCU Proved Wrong

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Loki season 2.

The epic finale of Marvel Studios’ Loki season 2 has proven many fan theories wrong. Tom Hiddleston returned as the titular God of Mischief in Phase 5’s Loki season 2, picking up immediately after the events of season 1, where he found himself thrust into an unfamiliar version of the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Soon reunited with his TVA family, including Mobius, Casey, Hunter B-15, his own variant Sylvie, and MCU newcomer Ouroboros, a.k.a. OB, Loki embarked on a mission to mend the malfunctioning Temporal Loom and save the multiverse. However, Loki season 2’s finale contained huge reveals and shocking twists that brought Loki’s MCU journey to a satisfying conclusion.

Over the duration of Loki season 2, which came to an end on November 9, 2023, many theories emerged suggesting what the future may have had in store for the God of Mischief, his TVA family, and the variants of Multiverse Saga supervillain Kang the Conqueror. While many of these theories were convincing, and gained some traction as the series continued to develop, the breathtaking finale disproved several of them by ending Loki season 2 in an unexpected place. Loki’s new role as the guardian of the multiverse in the MCU may have set up huge storylines for the MCU’s future, but many speculated avenues certainly won’t be followed now.

Related: Every Loki Season 2 Episode 6 MCU Easter Egg & Reference

10 Ouroboros, A.K.A. OB, Is A Villain

OB’s Genius & Norse Mythology Led Many To Suspect Him

Ke Huy Quan debuted as Ouroboros, a.k.a. OB, in Loki season 2, and his role as the engineer of the TVA led many to speculate that he may have a deeper purpose. OB’s own name added to speculation that he may have been a villain, as in Norse mythology, the ouroboros is a symbol connected to Jörmungandr, a.k.a. the World Serpent. This creature was the cause of the destructive Ragnarök event, adding weight to the idea that Loki season 2’s Ouroboros may be a villain. However, there was no indication that OB had nefarious intentions, and he ended up helping to rebuild the TVA, so this theory has been debunked.

9 Loki Would Become The New He Who Remains

Loki Was Tempted By He Who Remains’ Original Offer

One of the most popular theories regarding the storyline of Loki season 2 suggested that Loki himself would have assumed the role of He Who Remains, and would have established a new Sacred Timeline by the end of the series. In fact, the exact opposite happened, as Loki season 2, episode 6, “Glorious Purpose,” ended with Loki gathering every branching reality of the multiverse and standing guard over them, making sure they are protected. Instead of forming a new Sacred Timeline, Loki made sure that a stable multiverse could exist, taking his new position as the God of Time (or in fact the multiverse).

8 Multiple Kang Variants Would Appear At The End Of Loki Season 2

Many Kang Variants Appeared In Previous MCU Projects

After Jonathan Majors debuted as He Who Remains in Loki season 1’s finale, it was expected that even more variants would appear during Loki season 2. This theory was exacerbated by the debut of the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but Loki season 2 only featured two variants. He Who Remains returned to converse with Loki in season 2’s finale, while Majors also portrayed bumbling 19th Century inventor Victor Timely, who tried to help Loki’s TVA crew fix the Temporal Loom – when that was still the mission. Even so, the other Kang variants did receive a mention at the end of Loki​​​​​​​ season 2’s finale.

7 Victor Timely Would Be A Major Villain

Victor Timely’s Debut Spurred Major Theories

While many expected multiple Kang variants to appear, another popular theory suggested that Victor Timely himself would be set up as a key villain in Loki ​​​​​​​season 2. The cliffhanger ending of Loki season 2, episode 4, “Heart of the TVA,” saw Timely spaghettified by temporal energy, leading many to speculate whether he would return as a villain. This came following a since-disputed report by Variety which suggested Loki season 2’s finale would set up the major players for 2026’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, Loki season 2’s finale saw Timely returned safely to his timeline, where he was free to live with no intervention from the TVA.

6 Loki Was Avengers: Endgame’s Rat

Loki’s Time-Slipping Could Have Seen Him Help The Avengers

One light-hearted Loki season 2 theory arose after Loki learned to control his time-slipping ability. This may have granted him the opportunity to travel back to key moments in the MCU’s history and influence events, and with his new heroic mindset, this could have culminated in him helping the Avengers. One theory suggested that Loki may have time-slipped back to Avengers: Endgame, transformed into a rat, and activated the Quantum Tunnel to free Scott Lang from the Quantum Realm. This perhaps made some sense, as Ant-Man would have needed to be free to allow this version of Loki to exist, but this didn’t occur in Loki​​​​​​​ season 2.

5 Loki Would Have Used The Infinity Stones To Fix The Temporal Loom

Loki & Sylvie Used Magic In The TVA

Loki season 2, episode 4, saw the TVA’s defenses against magic switched off, allowing Loki and Sylvie to use their abilities. However, one theory suggested that this could have also given them a secret weapon in fixing the Temporal Loom, as it was assumed that the Infinity Stones may also work in the TVA after the defenses were lowered. Eugene Cordero’s Casey had gathered a collection of Infinity Stones in Loki season 1’s premiere, but they were of no use in the TVA, and even after the magic defenses were turned off, nobody thought to use them anyway. It seems Marvel Studios has well-and-truly moved on from these mystical gems.

4 Doctor Strange & Clea Would Have Returned In Loki Season 2

Clea Recruited Strange To Fix An Incursion In Multiverse Of Madness’ Post-Credits Scene

After the 2022 release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there was speculation that some of the information revealed in Sam Raimi’s MCU debut would be important to the equally-as-multiversal Loki on Disney+. This included the concept of incursions, which many thought would play a part in Loki season 2, and perhaps constitute the returns of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and Charlize Theron’s Clea. However, neither of these magical heroes appeared during Loki season 2, and there was no mention whatsoever of incursions during the Phase 5 series, though Strange and Clea’s mysterious future still needs explaining.

3 Loki’s Time-Slipping Was Like Spider-Verse’s Glitching

Time-Slipping & Glitching Are Two Separate Inflictions

Prior to the premiere of Loki season 2, trailers for the Phase 5 series revealed that Loki would be time-slipping, though it was unclear exactly what power this would give to the God of Mischief. Many noticed striking similarities between Loki’s time-slipping and characters’ glitching in Sony’s Spider-Verse franchise, so suggested there may be a connection between the two. While glitching occurs when an individual finds themself in the wrong reality, however, time-slipping allows Loki to move through his own personal timeline, proving that the two conditions are vastly different, and not connected in any sort of way.

2 The Avengers Would Have Been Collected By Loki

Loki’s Time-Slipping Could Have Reunited Him With The Avengers

Another theory that emerged from Loki’s control over his time-slipping also referred to the report by Variety, which suggested that Marvel Studios executives had discussed bringing back the original members of the Avengers for a new MCU adventure. While Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has since debunked this rumor, Loki’s time-slipping may have provided the perfect excuse to bring these beloved heroes back. He could have traveled to the past and collected the original Avengers to join in the fight against Kang the Conqueror, similarly to how the Avengers collected the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame​​​​​​​, though Loki’s new role in the MCU will perhaps make this impossible.

1 The X-Men Would Appear In Loki Season 2

Loki Season 2 Featured Several X-Men Teases

Following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, Marvel Studios began to integrate mutant characters in the MCU, teasing the founding of the X-Men team. However, this process has been slow, despite confirmaton that Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot is in development. Loki season 2 seemed to take some huge steps forward, however, as viewers noticed a pair of doors in season 2, episode 1, “Ouroboros,” that looked strikingly similar to Cerebro’s doors, and a piece of graffiti also may have had a connection to the X-Men. Even so, the mutant team didn’t make an appearance in Loki season 2, though their official debut may not be too far away.