In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the introduction of time travel in Avengers: Endgame opened up numerous possibilities for the franchise, including the concept of multiple characters having Variants in the multiverse. However, Loki Season 2 appears to have raised questions about time travel rules within the MCU. The premiere episode of the second season presented a different perspective on time within the TVA, challenging the conventional time-travel concept.
In the Season 2 premiere, Loki finds himself in a version of the TVA headquarters that is distinct from the one he previously encountered. Upon reuniting with Mobius, Loki is introduced to Ouroboros, also known as O.B., who explains the impossibility of time-slipping within the TVA. However, Loki manages to influence O.B. to create a Temporal Aura Extractor to address their dilemma.
The approach appears to deviate from the time-travel rule established in Avengers: Endgame, which suggests that individuals should avoid altering the future. By providing O.B. with the necessary information to resolve their problem, Loki inadvertently changes the future in his favor.
So did Loki break an important time travelling rule in the MCU? Writer Eric Martin spoke to The Hollywood Reporter where he pointed out that the rules were broken, it's simply that time doesn't necessarily work the way it should in the TVA.
“It’s absolutely that, and it shouldn’t be possible,” Martin said. “OB sees this [time slipping], and it’s like, ‘We don’t actually have time. We don’t age. This should not be something that can happen.’ And so there are different rules in the TVA itself, and we don’t even quite understand what that means yet.”
“It’s not that I was trying to not work within the rules we’ve established; I was just trying to continue to grow them,” Martin said. “I really didn’t want one scene to be something that broke the paradigm, although it was a scene that came to me and just stuck immediately. So that’s very much the scene that we talked about in the room. I definitely was trying to not just stay within the rules we had, but also expand them, grow them and grow out our world of the TVA as a whole, and really ask the question, ‘Well, if that’s not possible, how is it happening?'”
Interestingly, that's the same thing OB implied when Loki began time-slipping in the premiere episode. In that case, could that be the solution to fixing the Temporal Loom and saving the timeline?
Will 'time-slipping' solve the Temporal Loom problem in Loki Season 2?
The new trailer for the last two episodes of Loki Season 2 confirms that time-slipping is once again a key element in the story, but this time it serves a distinct purpose. Loki and his allies are portrayed as determined to correct past mistakes, repair the Temporal Loom, and preserve the Sacred Timeline.
As the series approaches its conclusion, fans can expect exciting plot twists and developments as Loki, Sylvie, and their allies strive to restore order within the TVA. The second season is building up to an epic climax, and viewers eagerly await the resolution of its intricate narrative.
The penultimate episode of Loki Season 2 is also this week's episode. Episode 5 is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on November 2, 2023.
