The Loki season 2 trailer finally came out this week, and what a treasure trove it’s been for Loki fans. Are Loki and Mobius going on dates? Why does Sylvie have the best haircut ever? How can Ke Huy Quan be so cool without violating the laws of physics? And what on earth is going on with this new, terrifying version of Miss Minutes!?
It seems like there are a thousand lightning-fast moments to pore through and theorize over. One moment in particular, though, has firmly taken up residence in my brain.
Toward the end of the trailer, we see Loki asking a loaded question: “How do you choose who lives and who dies?” The question seems to point to the dilemma that Loki, Mobius, Sylvie, and the other characters will face as they travel the branching multiverse, trying to prevent an apocalyptic war. It wasn’t until my second (or third, or tenth, or 80 millionth) viewing of the trailer that I noticed a significant detail: when Loki asks that question, he’s back in his Time Variance Authority prisoner’s jumpsuit from season 1, with the injuries from the Battle of New York still on his face.
What could it mean? Here’s my favorite theory.
Will Loki talk to his younger self in Loki season 2?
There are a few possibilities about what’s going on in this scene. The first is that this is a flashback to season 1, showing us part of Loki’s interrogation with Mobius that we didn’t see before.
However, we know from the season 2 trailer that Loki is being yanked around through time, popping up in different points in the TVA’s history. It’s likely that the final scene of season 1, in which Mobius doesn’t know who Loki is, takes place at some point in the TVA’s past. Based on this premise, it’s very possible that during his accidental time travel, present-day Loki gets pulled back to his own interrogation.
If that’s what happens, then we may be in store for a very interesting conversation between current Loki, who has put his villainous days behind him and is striving to do good, and post-Avengers Loki, who still thinks that he’s destined to be King of Space. If this theory is correct, then how will past Loki react to current Loki? What will the two talk about? Past Loki looks pretty earnest in the trailer, so whoever he’s talking to must be someone he trusts.
What made season 1 so fantastic wasn’t just the TVA weirdness or the incredibly high stakes. It was Loki’s depth as a character, and his emotional growth throughout the season. A scene with Loki confronting his past self would be a gorgeous way to push his character development even more, and I’m crossing my fingers that my theory is right.
All of this is wild speculation, of course. And I could be totally wrong. It’s worth noting that the first poster for season 2 shows Loki in the prison jumpsuit, which could mean anything.
Call me greedy, but the first trailer’s barely two days old and I’m already impatient for a second one. And when the actual season premieres on October 6? I’m going to be one happy little mischief maker.
(featured image: Disney+)
