The first episode of Loki has left us with a lot of questions, particularly when it comes to the role the Time Variance Authority plays in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. The God of Mischief has never heard of them before, so if even an Asgardian is unaware of their existence, what about the Sorcerer Supreme?
Talking to The Direct, Head Writer Michael Waldron was asked whether Stephen Strange knows about the TVA heading into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (which he also wrote).
"We don't really know," he teased. "It would be interesting if they did. I think what we see with the TVA is, whereas the folks at Kamar-Taj are dealing things in a magical way, the TVA is paperwork. Its bureaucracy. It appears to be a little more science-based."
As for whether the plan is for Loki to lead into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - the premiere did tease "madness" in the Multiverse - Waldron kept his cards close to his chest in an interview with ComicBook.com. "I think everybody will have a better idea of that when on the other end of it. I'll just say that our charge and the goal from the beginning was telling a complete, thrilling story that can stand alone, and by the end of it, we'll see what we blew the lid on."
"From day one, we were like, 'Look, this thing should be as vital as a movie.' There was no cap on our imagination, or on what we could do or what we couldn't do because it was on Disney+," he continued. "As far as we were concerned, we were telling the next, most important chapter in the MCU. And so, that meant, 'Yeah, let's get Infinity Stones in there.'"
It's hard to imagine Loki not setting the stage for the Doctor Strange sequel in some way, but it's no great surprise that Waldron is choosing his words carefully at this stage.
As disappointing to hear as this might be, if Marvel Studios is using this series to set up the MCU's version of the Multiverse, we might not get a trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home until after the season ends. Time will tell on that front, but let us know your thoughts on these comments from Waldron below.