**SPOILERS For Loki Episode 5 (“Journey Into Mystery”) Ahead**
It’s no surprise to Star Wars fans or Marvel fans that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige loves a galaxy far, far away. The Marvel boss is actually creating his own Star Wars movie with Loki writer Michael Waldron, so we know he takes the Star Wars universe seriously.
In fact, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s streaming series have been hiding their fair share of Star Wars Easter eggs for those who have been paying attention.
In “Journey Into Mystery”, various versions of Loki that were introduced in the Episode 4 post credits scene — including Kid Loki, Alligator Loki, and President Loki (no, you don’t need glasses) — find themselves in an underground bunker. At one point, Alligator Loki chomps President Loki’s hand off, leaving him with nothing more than a bloody stump where his body part once was.
This was a clear reference to the Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) scene in which Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) hacks off the hand of his son, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). The famous cinematic moment occurs during the lightsaber duel on Bespin’s Cloud City just before the Dark Lord of the Sith reveals that he is, in fact, Luke’s father.
The iconic “No, I am your father” Star Wars scene has been referenced multiple times in the MCU, making it the longest-running Star Wars reference at Feige’s super hero studio.
…it [Alligator Loki’s hand chomp] could also be seen as a nod to “Thor: The Dark World.” In the sequel flick, Loki pretends to cut Thor’s hand off in the final battle against the Dark Elves as a way of tricking the villains into thinking they had the upper hand (no pun intended).
Credit: Marvel Studios
Feige, however, has confirmed that this Star Wars reference “didn’t start out as intentional, but it became intentional.” He previously shared with CinemaBlend:
“It sort of happens in every ‘Star Wars’ movie, but I was sort of looking at it, ‘Okay, is Phase 2 our ‘Empire Strikes Back’?’ Not really, but tonally things are a little different. … Somebody gets their arm cut off in every Phase 2 movie — every single one.”
In a hilarious — and ironic — turn of events, Hamill himself has recently been decrying Star Wars merchandise featuring Luke’s severed hand. He recently wrote on Twitter:
Collectibles that commemorate a grievous bodily injury… what’s wrong with these people?!!
Credit: Lucasfilm
