Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel’s Loki has never been afraid to mess with the Scared Timeline — clearly. But the Disney+ series might have officially taken things too far in a new teaser for Season 2, which foreshadows the titular character’s return to a location thought to be destroyed in Season 1.
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What Is ‘Loki’ Season 2 About?
After facing countless roadblocks, Season 2 of Marvel Studios’ smash hit Loki show is set to arrive on Disney+ this month. From a postponed release date to the continued controversy surrounding the actor who plays the series’ primary antagonist, Jonathan Majors, the team behind Loki‘s sophomore season has undoubtedly been put through the wringer. But now, it looks like we’re safely on the other side.
Starring Tom Hiddleston as the eponymous trickster, the upcoming season of Loki will also see Owen Wilson reprising his role as TVA Agent Mobius M. Mobius, Gugu Mbatha Raw as Judge Ravonna Renslayer, and Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie, in addition to MCU newcomers like Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan, who plays the TVA’s “quirky repair guy,” O.B.
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While story specifics are being kept under tight wraps, the second season of Loki picks up immediately after the events of Season 1. As a quick refresher, the first season ended with a massive cliffhanger after Loki was sent to an alternate dimension’s TVA — one where Mobius doesn’t even recognize him — by Sylvie, who murdered Majors’ elusive He Who Remains at his Time Citadel in an act of vengeance.
Based on what we know so far, it looks like Loki Season 2 will see the God of Mischief working with Mobius, Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku), and other members of the TVA to navigate the ever-expanding Multiverse in order to find Sylvie, Ravonna Renslayer, and Miss Minutes (Tara Strong).
Check out the official trailer for Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2 below:
‘Loki’ Season 2 Promo Teases Return to Familiar Season 1 Location
But as Disney and Marvel continue to amp up marketing for Loki Season 2, a newly-released featurette caught the attention of eagle-eyed MCU fans, many of whom caught a small detail that hints at Loki’s return to He Who Remains’ Citadel at the End of Time.
Behind-the-scenes footage might’ve just spoiled Loki Season 2’s return to a pivotal Season 1 location, showing Hiddelston’s God of Mischief back in the Citadel library. Here, he can be spotted wearing the same exact costume from the Season 1 finale and even has the same cut on his right arm.
And to shut down any speculation that this could be recycled footage from Season 1, in the new video, Hiddleston shakes the hand of Season 2 director Justin Benson, who was not involved with Season 1. Check out the full video featurette below:
What Is the Citadel at the End of Time, and Why Does It Matter to Loki?
So, why is this return to He Who Remains’ Citadel at the End of Time important for Season 2? And does it retcon the events of Season 1?
Located deep in the cosmos, He Who Remains lived out his days in his mysterious Time Citadel, keeping watch over the Sacred Timeline. A scientist from the 31st Century, He Who Remains (AKA Nathaniel Richards), was the first Variant who came into contact with alternate universes and other versions of himself.
However, when some of these Variants, including Kang the Conqueror, attempted to gain control over other realities, a Multiversal War ensued, which He Who Remains ended by weaponizing Alioth. In the aftermath of the conflict, he created the TVA to preserve the Sacred Timeline and ensure that his Multiversal counterparts would never return.
Loki and Sylvie first find He Who Remains in his Time Citadel in the Season 1 finale, titled “For All Time. Always.” Sylvie, a female variant of the Asgardian trickster, blames He Who Remains for her suffering over the years.
When He Who Remains tries to persuade them to take over his life’s work and continue the TVA, Sylvie refuses and instead drives her blade through his chest, killing him. Here, he leaves her with the chilling words, “See you soon.”
The clock is ticking for Loki and Co. now that villainous Kang variants have officially been set loose across the Multiverse, as set up in the post-credits for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). With this context in mind, it only seems natural that Loki would, in some capacity, return to the very place responsible for maintaining the now-shattered Sacred Timeline.
Does Loki’s Return to He Who Remains’ Citadel Retcon the Season 1 Finale?
The Time Citadel’s appearance in the recent featurette raises, perhaps, more questions than answers. Ultimately, it comes down to one of two things: this new scene is either a redo of Loki and Sylvie’s original meeting with He Who Remains, or a flashback to Season 1.
With the Multiverse being at the heart of any Marvel production these days, the inclusion of He Who Remains’ Time Citadel in Loki Season 2 isn’t exactly a retcon so much as it is a “what if” scenario or a trip into an alternate timeline, albeit a much more important one that could alter the course of the MCU.
Loki could return to this moment in time to undo Sylvie’s actions, with the Multiverse giving him a second chance to save the day, so long as it doesn’t interfere with whatever the TVA’s plans may be. The Multiverse is much more forgiving with what’s really considered “canon” or not, after all — just watch a few episodes of Marvel’s What If…?
Considering Loki‘s belief that time is like a circle, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the sophomore season mission ultimately end where it began. There’s a possibility that Loki could reverse the events of Season 1 and fulfill He Who Remains’ prophecy, becoming the new ruler of the Citadel at the End of Time and, therefore, the Multiverse.
However, considering Kang is set to make his comeback in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026), this seems unlikely, though not entirely out of the question.
In typical Loki fashion, only time will tell. Regardless, fans can look forward to seeing this upcoming second chapter on Disney+ in the coming weeks, which could very well have massive implications for the MCU as we know it.
Loki Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on Tuesday, October 5, at 6 p.m. PT.
What do you think of this MCU “retcon” in the latest teaser for Loki Season 2? Do you think Loki could potentially reset the Sacred Timeline? Let us know in the comments below.