Marvel’s Loki Episode 2: MCU Easter Eggs and Reference Guide
Marvel’s Loki episode 2 is (surprise!) full of MCU and Marvel Comics references. But it also references much more than that!
Marvel’s Loki episode 2, “The Variant,” wastes absolutely no time. And like some of the best Marvel TV efforts, the Easter eggs and references are numerous, but not all of them are obvious. In fact, a lot of them don’t even necessarily pertain to the MCU! Loki is having fun with genre, TV formulas, and the very notions of time travel itself, so looking to the pages of Marvel Comics isn’t quite enough.
The Renaissance Fair
The Renaissance Fair takes place on April 12, 1985…in Oshkosh, WI. Why Oshkosh? It could very well be because that’s the place where legendary Marvel writer/editor Mark Gruenwald, the man who is the basis for Agent Mobius, was born!
Now, anyone have any ideas why that date might be significant…other than it being the opening date of Return of the Living Dead?
The Renaissance Fair setting of the opening feels like a nod to early Thor and Loki comics, where Stan Lee’s overblown faux-Shakespearean dialogue felt like the kind of fun put-on you would find at a RenFaire.
The poor Ren Faire actress who is sad to see the TVA in their futuristic garb is played by Kate Berlant. Like fellow Loki actor Eugene Cordero, she comes from a comedy background and you may have seen (or heard) her in Search Party, The Good Place, and BoJack Horseman.
Holding Out for a Hero
Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” plays during the pre-credits Renaissance Fair sequence. This song is EVERYWHERE at the moment, but its connection to the MCU is at least twofold. There’s this incredible Thor: Ragnarok fan edit that went viral back in 2018, and then there’s the fact that the ’80s banger was originally recorded for the Footloose soundtrack …aka Star-Lord’s favorite film.
Meanwhile…at TVA HQ…
The TVA’s commitment to outmoded technology is on full display on Mobius’ desk next to that old computer terminal, with an actual hourglass instead of a clock.
The jacket that says VARIANT is like the PRISONER prominently displayed on the back of orange jumpsuits.
In the TVA Nexus Event Report we learn that TVA Agents are called Minutemen. Because of course they are.
There’s a hilariously dystopian poster in the TVA commissary that says “the timeline won’t wait for seconds,” exhorting people not to linger on their lunch breaks.
Since we found out last week that Casey doesn’t know what a fish is, we can reasonably conclude that Agent Mobius isn’t eating a Caesar salad, the dressing of which is made with anchovies.
Running off the Josta gag that started in episode 1 (and continues here), where the TVA consumes discontinued food items as well, we have a Boku juice box. Boku was on shelves from about 1990-2003, and was like a juice box for grownups.
At one point there’s a very visible “372” in the background of the TVA library. Thor #372 featured an early Marvel Comics appearance of the TVA, as well as the origin story of Justice Peace…who we still think Hunter B-15 is based on.
Miss Minutes
Even the computer terminals at the TVA display readouts in Miss Minutes’ accent. On Loki’s screen you can see “let’s see what ya know!”
Jet Skis, the Universe, and Everything
Loki appears to be reading something called Wake magazine, volume 26, #4. Like many things in the TVA, this appears to be a vintage magazine rather than one being published currently. Probably at the height of the jet ski craze of the early ’90s. We’re reasonably sure this is a fake magazine, but haven’t been able to verify it. Yet.
LOKI VARIANTS
For the sake of keeping all of these straight, we’re just cataloging the Loki variant numbers for you. Here they are…
Read our old review of ‘Loki’ Episode 2, with new details and ideas
The majority of this article was originally published on June 8, 2021. You can read the full review of the first two “Loki” episodes on this article page titled “‘Loki’ is Marvel’s best series yet.” For this review, I’ve added what I wrote before and some new notes at the bottom about the series upon a second watch.
Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Episode 2 of “Loki.”
While Episode 1 of “Loki” was fun and a great introduction, Episode 2 — titled “The Variant” — is where we see that this show truly stands the test of time in the Marvel Cinematic CinematiUniverse. “Loki” proves to be a thrilling ride you just can’t stop watching.
We learn in Episode 1 that there is another version of Loki going around to different timelines, killing Time Variance Authority officers and collecting items to refresh the timelines. It appears the other Loki’s goal is to simply reset the timelines he is in.
We learn a lot more about the TVA in this episode. It’s more than just an agency that monitors timelines. It’s a group that honors and obeys the Time Keepers — a group of godlike beings who created the universe’s timeline. They control everything in the universe, creating a planned path for everyone. And the TVA honors their wishes and goals, despite there being no proof the Time Keepers exist. Obviously, skepticism arises about their existence in this episode. That’s quite an interesting theme to follow. The show is asking us to question how and why we believe in something, even if we don’t know it’s there.
The episode has a few, fun Easter eggs throughout — we need to keep an eye on that pen from Franklin D. Roosevelt that the TVA has in its building. And Agent Morbius hints that there’s another analyst helping out the TVA who we haven’t met yet, which could be another setup for another Marvel Cinematic Universe character to appear down the road.
More importantly, the second episode ends with a final confrontation between Loki and the other Loki. And it’s … well, I won’t spoil it. But the last 20 minutes of this episode will fly.
And by the end of the second episode, you’ll be left not only wondering what’s happening next in “Loki” itself, but also what is going to happen in the entire MCU.
More than anything, “Loki” has a simple message for us: We’re in a completely new phase of Marvel projects.
New thoughts and ideas
The second episode of “Loki” truly flies by in a heartbeat. Everything about it works. There’s no question it is better than the first episode of the series, having less exposition and recap of the MCU. It’s just pure, new, original storytelling at its greatest.
Owen Wilson as Agent Morbius impresses even more upon a second watch. The lunch scene with Loki and the loss of his salad shows top tier Wilson — a little bit of comedy, improv and charm thrown in all at once.
Upon the second watch, it’s clear to me the Time Keepers will play a role later in this season. We’re gearing up for some climactic moment where we either meet them or learn their true identity.
An underrated part of this episode is the score. “Loki” has a pretty decent score that walks the line of your traditional Marvel superhero score and an odd sci-fi thriller soundtrack. It’s quirky, bouncy but also filled with dread. It’s “Avengers” meets “Aliens” all at once.
This episode really underscores that there could be many new places for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to go. I expect we’ll learn more about where we’re going in the coming weeks. But this episode clearly made me want Episode 3, and it also made me NOT want Episode 3. It was so good that I don’t want us to get closer to the end of the series. But alas, we will eventually. And like all variants on the TVA’s timeline, this show will soon disappear. So enjoy it while you can.
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