Entertainment

Here's How The Loki TV Show Will Connect To 'Thor: Love & Thunder'

by Ani Bundel
Marvel

Marvel's Phase 4 is a radical departure from the first 11 years of the franchise. Unlike Phases 1-3, not everything in Phase 4 will be released in theaters. Instead, bowing to the launch of Disney +, fully half of Phase 4's titles are "limited TV series," starting with The Falcon & The Winter Soldier in 2020. During the Phase 4 presentation, CEO Kevin Feige revealed Disney+'s WandaVision would link directly to the big screen Dr. Strange sequel. This has fans looking for other connections as well, such as will Loki connect to Thor: Love & Thunder? Of all the possible pairings, this one makes the most sense.

Fans were genuinely surprised to learn WandaVision, a show focused on the Scarlet Witch and Vision, would somehow tie to Dr. Strange. But Wanda's abilities as the Scarlet Witch are some of the most powerful among the Avengers. Fans suspect WandaVision is about her messing with time and multiverses to bring Vision back after the events of Endgame. If so, then it would make a lot of sense she sets off the events of Dr. Strange 2, which is entitled Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Even so, that's a leap, especially when one stops to consider Dr. Strange, Wanda, and Vision have never met on screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Loki and Thor, on the other hand, have been part of the same franchise for years.

Marvel

Currently, WandaVision and Dr. Strange are the only small screen-big screen pairing the MCU has confirmed. The timing also works, as WandaVision is scheduled for "Spring of 2021" making it the Disney+ release just before Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres in May of 2021.

But fans are convinced Loki, which premieres in late Spring of 2021 (probably June-ish), will connect to Thor, which is scheduled to debut in November of 2021. Their reasoning hinges on the report from FandomWire, in which sources suggest that the series ends with a "return to the main MCU timeline/dimension, just in time for Thor: Love & Thunder."

Marvel

The currently reported logline for Loki is as follows:

The series follows Loki after the events in Avengers: Endgame as the trickster uses the power of the Tesseract to travel throughout human history and change historical events

That makes sense, as the Phase 4 announcement said the show was a spinoff, focusing on what happens to Loki after he escapes with the Tesseract in Endgame. Loki's attempts to change history sounds like a fun ride, especially if he realizes he has to put them back when he sees the consequences. It also looks like a proper follow up to Dr. Strange and Wanda having to right multiverses out of sync.

But Loki going around change time might also be how the show brings back Jane. As fans know, Natalie Portman wasn't part of Thor: Ragnarok, nor Infinity War and Endgame. And yet in Thor: Love & Thunder she's not only back, but she's got god-like powers as well. Was it something Loki did that caused it? If so, Thor: Love & Thunder is all his fault.

If so, it may be MCU fans will need to watch every Disney+ show to keep up with the movies. Time (and multiverses) will tell.