*Contains slight spoilers if you have not seen all Marvel movies*

Marvel Studios has been releasing sensational productions recently, including short television series such as WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Once again Marvel has blown away fans with their recent release of the first episode of the new TV mini-series, Loki. Visit Disney+ to watch a new episode of Loki every Wednesday.

Glorious Purpose, the first episode of the series, was released on June 9, and takes place during Avengers: Endgame on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline. It reveals the whereabouts of Loki Laufeyson, the God of Mischief, adopted son of Odin and brother of Thor, after his mysterious escape with the Tesseract, containing the invaluable Space stone, in Endgame. In the movie, Loki was seen disappearing in Stark Tower after a near-imprisonment. This brought the heroic Avengers back to the timeline with events that unfolded in Marvel’s The Avengers. The series continues the story of the MCU, making it difficult to understand for those who have not watched the previous Marvel movies. 

In the show, audiences are introduced to an entirely new Marvel establishment, the Time Variance Authority (TVA), which claims to be in charge of controlling time and space. After his escape, Loki is taken into custody by the TVA as a variant of the timeline, meaning he is guilty of crimes against the Sacred Timeline. Despite his resistance to arrest, Loki and the Tesseract are both taken by the TVA.

Riddled with comedic relief, this episode explained an entirely new concept for the MCU. While managing to keep audiences entertained and comprehensive, the show revealed the Timekeepers as apparent all-knowing gods of the universe. The TVA was created by these Timekeepers in order to protect the Sacred Timeline and prevent a multiverse from forming.

Although Loki was initially scheduled to receive punishment for his crimes, Owen Wilson’s character Mobius M. Mobius, an agent of the Time Variance Authority, spared him in exchange for his help in catching another mysterious and murderous variant. The TVA sets time back onto its fixed path, however, this deepens the plot of Loki, which was thought to be cut short by an untimely death. Most importantly, the addition of the TVA suggests the argument of fate versus free will: how much power do we really have over our destiny? Are all of our actions predetermined?

Loki is known for his mischievous personality which is captured brilliantly by actor Tom Hiddleston who has been playing the character since 2011. However, towards the end, we see a side of this supervillain that we never expected to see: vulnerability. As images of his future— scenes from Marvel movies that take place in the timeline after his disappearance— flash before his eyes, he realizes the severe consequences of his villainous actions. Loki even sheds a few tears as he transforms into a completely different character: one that experiences empathy and love. The character development that we see in Loki makes this episode much more interesting, as we learn that he is no longer the troublesome supervillain that he was presented as before. 

This episode further touches on unprecedented theories, such as Loki’s gender fluidity. While fans noticed that his file revealed “fluid” as his sex, the direction that the MCU will proceed with this new detail is unknown. According to an Entertainment Weekly article, Director Kate Herron said, “He’s gender-fluid in the Norse mythology and the comics, and it felt like an important thing to, as you say, make sure it’s canon.” This groundbreaking concept really added depth to the series. 

This episode had us hooked on the storyline from the beginning, revealing an entirely new universe that expands the MCU. A classic Marvel-style twist, this episode featured a brilliant storyline filled with wit and an unexpected ending that begs the question of Loki’s gender identity. Who is the variant that is seen in the post-credits scene? What is Loki’s “Glorious Purpose?” Watch Wednesday’s episode to find out.