Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be key in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new era, and so will the upcoming shows on Disney+, as they’ll be an active part of this universe. Series like WandaVision and Loki will directly affect Doctor Strange 2, but the God of Mischief’s solo adventure might be key to Strange’s sequel. Now that the Infinity saga came to an end with Spider-Man: Far From Home after reaching its peak with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the MCU is preparing for a new wave of films, with both new and old characters.

First in line are Black Widow (which is a prequel) and The Eternals, followed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2021. Stephen Strange’s second solo film recently went through a big shake-up when director Scott Derrickson left the project, but life at Marvel hardly ever stops, and the studio is moving forward and reportedly adding a bunch of new characters to it. Doctor Strange 2 is the only film confirmed (for now, at least) to be directly connected with two Disney+ series: WandaVision and Loki.

A lot has been said about Scarlet Witch’s role in Doctor Strange 2 and how her series could tie into it, and many fans believe she will be the one to kickstart the multiverse of madness, but there’s another character that could also be the one behind the chaos, and it’s one that has already brought a lot of trouble to the MCU: Loki. The God of Mischief may or may not appear in Doctor Strange 2, but even if he doesn’t, the events in his series will be key to the multiverse of madness.

Loki Already Exists In The MCU’s Multiverse

Loki was introduced in Thor’s first solo film, serving as the main antagonist. Loki is one of the few MCU villains that have made it past the film he was introduced in, and continued to bring trouble to his brother and company in The Avengers. He went on to appear in Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. The Loki viewers had known since Thor died in Avengers: Infinity War – and it was for real this time. However, the events in Avengers: Endgame gave the character a second chance to continue in the MCU, though in a very peculiar way, as Loki from 2012 managed to escape with the Tesseract, meaning this is the Loki that still wants the throne of Asgard and has some very questionable allies.

This is the version of Loki that will star in Disney+’s series, and given that he’s in possession of an Infinity Stone (the Space Stone, inside the Tesseract), Loki already exists in the MCU’s multiverse. The Space Stone allows the wielder absolute control over space itself, allowing the opening of portals to other locations and also interdimensional travel. The series has been confirmed to involve time travel, and it’s possible that he will travel through different dimensions as well. After all, he’s on the run after escaping from his brother, S.H.I.E.L.D, and Earth.

Loki Could Cause The Multiverse’s Madness

One very important detail to keep in mind when talking about Loki is that this is the God of Mischief from 2012, meaning that it’s the villainous version of the character. This is the Loki that would betray his brother at any given chance – or anyone, really. After all, he betrayed Thanos too. By escaping with the Tesseract, he already created a different timeline, which is specially dangerous as he has the Space Stone. As much mastery of magic as he might have, it’s unlikely Loki will know how to handle the stone (more so if he’s looking to use it to travel through time), and his actions could very well hurt the multiverse, thus kickstarting the multiverse of madness in Doctor Strange 2 – and Scarlet Witch, instead of being the cause of it, might be the one who saves it.

Loki Could Help Solve The Multiverse’s Madness Instead

Whatever Loki goes through during the series will surely be a life-changing experience, which doesn’t necessarily have to be for the worse. Loki was able to leave his ego and selfish goals aside in his final appearances (though not entirely, as seen when he allied himself with the Grandmaster so he wouldn’t die in Sakaar), and the same could happen to this past version of the character. Loki might be able to figure out the many uses of the Space Stone, which could in turn help Doctor Strange and company when the multiverse of madness happens. Besides, Strange knows that Loki has changed before, and that he can be of help if he manages to put his selfishness aside. By helping Strange solve the multiverse of madness, Loki could once more get closer to the road of redemption, and so he could continue his journey with Thor and the rest.

Doctor Strange 2 Can Bring Loki Back Into The MCU Properly

Loki is expected to be released in early 2021; Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will arrive on May 27, 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder in November of the same year. Loki will serve as a primer to his reintroduction to the film side of the MCU, helping viewers get acquainted with this past version of the character and his new motivations now that he has an Infinity Stone in his power. His appearance on Doctor Strange 2 would be his formal return to the MCU’s film side, making way for his inclusion in Thor: Love and Thunder – after all, it would be a bit weird not having a Thor film with the presence of Loki, whether a villain or not.

Loki is much more than Tom Hiddleston’s return as the god of Mischief after (one version of) the character died in Infinity War, as his actions will directly impact the biggest and most important film the MCU has in the near future. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be a game changer, and a big part of that relies on whatever happens in WandaVision and Loki, as well as what these characters learn from those experiences.

Next: Marvel Phase 4 Timeline: When The New MCU Movies & TV Shows Take Place

  • Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11