The Loki finale is almost here, and we're ready for answers. Or at least one big answer: who's behind the TVA? And, no, it wasn't Agatha all along. Nor was it Mephisto, either, WandaVision fans.
Because right now, we're hoping that the Loki finale doesn't get bit with the same bug that the WandaVision finale did — disappointment. Do you remember how Paul Bettany trolled us all into thinking a major cameo was coming, only for it to be a gag about White Vision?
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So with Loki's finale set to drop this Wednesday, July 13, at 3 a.m. ET, here's what we're hoping to see resolved — or at least, not left dangling like an errant timeline.
Loki finale: Who's the big bad TVA boss?
OK, here's the big question: who's in that building we saw at the end of Loki episode 5, when Sylvie enchanted Alioth, who then pulled back the first layer of the Wizard of Oz-like curtain?
Will we get an emotionally rewarding final boss for Loki and Sylvie, or one that's just a setup for the future MCU movies? If it's the former, and it turns out to be another Loki, or one of the variants we already know, there could be great drama to wring out of it.
If the person behind the TVA matches the rumors and expectations, it may likely just be the latter, leaving many asking "who is Kang the Conqueror?" Short answer: one-time love interest for Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) in the comics, and a time-traveling big bad expected to appear in Ant-Man 3. Jonathan Majors, who is going to play Kang, has denied any involvement.
Ever since it was revealed that the evil Loki variant was Sylvie, and that Sylvie is (apparently) doing good, the TVA went from weird establishment to creepy authoritarian regime. Now, we need an answer about who's behind it all, and that's something we can expect.
Loki finale: Where do Loki and Sylvie go from here?
Loki and Sylvie, both variants themselves, have never felt long for this world. And, no, that's not just because they've spent much of this season dwelling in places on the verge of apocalypse.
Variants, we've been told repeatedly, don't last. At least, that is, without becoming TVA employees (a reveal from Loki episode 3). We're betting that Loki and Sylvie can't both be made canonical, as they're both variants of the same person.
Will they both become employees of a new, less-evil Time Variance Authority? This, oddly, seems like the way the series could go. Or, Loki and Sylvie kill whomever is responsible for the TVA, and then the organization goes away — who's to say they're variants at all?
Loki finale: When do we open the multiverse?
Speaking of which, when it comes to the big calendar of Marvel movies, Loki is interestingly placed on a big precipice. The knowledge we've learned about timelines, multiverses and nexus events will likely play something of a role in both Spider-Man: No Way Home (December 17, 2021) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Mar 25, 2022).
So, it seems like this is a perfect time to detonate the rule book when it comes to the multiverse. Throw all the TVA regulations out the window, and open the doors for all the cameos and surprises.
The only real conundrum is if this happens at the end of Loki or not. All of the Spider-Man 3 rumors (concerning past Spider-Man actors returning) definitely suggest it's going to happen. We just want to know when it's going down.
Loki finale: What about the spare Infinity Stones?
When it comes to leaving no plot-thread un-tied, we need to go back to the desk of TVA employee Casey (Eugene Cordero). Because magic doesn't work at the TVA, he has more Infinity Stones than Thanos could ever dream of holding.
If the Loki finale doesn't put a cap on the existence of those gems, we're going to be looking over our shoulder for them in every movie, much like Tony Soprano when the screen cut to black.
Loki finale: Does Mobius get a jet ski?
Marvel loves to use end-credits scenes to explain what comes next in the MCU, so we're going to need two if it's going to do this for Loki. One to tie the series to the next upcoming Marvel movie or show, and another to just show the glee in Mobius' eyes as he drives a jet ski along the water.
It's all he's ever wanted, as far as he knows. And it's all we want for Loki's bantering buddy. And, yes, this aquatic moment also needs a cameo from Alligator Loki. It's what's right. You know it, I know it, even Miss Minutes knows it.
