Every Loki Season 2 Episode 4 MCU Easter Egg & Reference
Loki season 2, episode 4 features a great collection of fun MCU references and Easter eggs. As the titular God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) and his allies at the TVA work to prevent the entire institution from imploding, there are several connection points to other chapters of the MCU as well as some references to the original Marvel Comics. Likewise, there may even be teases for the rest of the show as well as the future of the MCU’s new big bad Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). As seen in Loki season 2, episode 4, Loki and his allies create a plan to stabilize the TVA’s Temporal Loom which is in danger of overloading and destroying them all. This is thanks to Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) who killed He Who Remains in Loki season 1, the secret founder of the TVA and creator of the Sacred Timeline. Although things go horribly wrong by the end of Loki season 2, episode 4, there a several exciting Easter eggs and references along the way.
“Protocol 42” (A Major Marvel Number)
By consulting her secret history, Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) learns that she fought alongside the Others in the First Multiverse War. However, He Who Remains later had Miss Minute apply “Protocol 42”, in which new TVA agents were all mind-wiped, including Renslayer. 42 is an important number in the Marvel Universe, connecting both Spider-Man and Miles Morales’s Mister Fantastic. This figure could also be a potential reference for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Ravonna’s Secret History Mirrors The Comics
Learning that she was a commander of armies during the first Multiversal War and a key ally of He Who Remains, Ravonna’s secret history in the MCU mirrors how critical she was to Kang the Conqueror in the original Marvel Comics. As such, it will be interesting to see if she’ll ever serve another Kang variant in the future.
Ouroboros’ Name And Time Paradox
While O.B. (Ke Huy Quan) claims in Loki season 2, episode 4 that he learned everything he knows from Victor Timely, Timely reveals that he learned everything from OB’s TVA tutorial, creating a great paradox when both learn from each other. So O.B. said it resembles a snake eating its own tail, the classical symbol known as the Ouroboros, its namesake.
Victor Timely’s Temporal Device
There is an important part required for O.B. and Casey’s Flux Factor, Victor Timely’s prototype and “highlight of his work”, looks quite familiar. As such, it could very well be that the Multiverse Engine Core seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was used to power Kang’s Time Sphere.
Loki References The MCU’s First Thor Movie
During Loki’s heated debate with Sylive over the merits of VAT, he refers to the events of Thor in 2011 and his brother’s banishment to Earth. When Thor returned with even greater changes, Loki believed it was a weakness. However, he has since learned that compassion and sparing the lives of enemies are not weaknesses, something he tries to convince Sylvie of in this new episode of Loki season 2.
“I’m Going To Burn This Place To The Ground”
At one point in Loki season 2, episode 4, Sylvie asks Loki if it would be easier to burn all the VAT and start over. This could be a reference to season 1 of Loki, when Loki was first taken into TVA detention, where he promised to do the same, as he had not yet evolved from the villain he once was.
“Someone Worse” Sylvie Teases Kang the Conqueror
Sylvie is also concerned in this new episode of Loki season 2 that sparing Victor Timely and the TVA means that she and Loki will have to hope that he doesn’t become “The Other or someone worse”. This worse person could be Kang the Conqueror or some variation of the Conqueror as seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Perhaps he could even become Prime Kang before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is released in 2026.
Miss Minutes’ Lockdown Mirrors Jurassic Park
Working with Ravonna to forge their own path without Timely, Miss Minutes locks down several networks within the TVA before O.B. reboots the entire system to force her out. However, a locked screen and message initially appeared with Miss Minutes wagging her finger: “Ah ah ah! Access denied!”. This certainly resembles Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park when he similarly blocked access to the park’s systems: “Ah ah ah! You didn’t say the magic word!”.