Is Loki’s [SPOILER] Really Dead?

The final episode of Loki introduced and killed He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), but the show’s surprise villain may not really be dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The entirety of Loki season 1 was about trying to meet the people in charge of the Time Variance Authority. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) learned that the Time-Keepers at the TVA headquarters were androids, leaving them and viewers to question who is really behind it. Loki waited until its season one finale to confirm the answer: a version of Kang the Conqueror.

Kang’s introduction to the MCU should be a massive moment for the future. That’s what makes his ultimate fate in Loki that much more surprising. Jonathan Majors is confirmed to return the the MCU as Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Sylvie killed He Who Remains for his role in ruining her life, as he was the one who created the TVA and oversaw the flow of the Sacred Timeline. Kang warned Sylvie that killing him might not be in her or the multiverse’s best interest, but that didn’t stop the female Loki Variant from stabbing him in the chest. But, is Kang really dead?

Now that Loki‘s finale saw the creation of the multiverse, the answer to Kang’s fate is a bit more complicated. As far as the version of He Who Remains featured in Loki is concerned, he is dead – at least for now. Kang repeatedly teases he’ll be back if Sylvie kills him, with him even winking and telling her he’ll see her soon right before he dies. Loki‘s version of Kang who existed at the end of time and created the TVA is gone for now, but he also teased that he could return after the next multiverse war breaks out. Since this version of Kang was from the 31st century, there’s a chance the entire MCU is on a time loop that will see him ruling the TVA from The Void once again.

While He Who Remains is dead in the MCU now, Variants of Kang will be a significant part of Phase 4 and beyond presumably. Another timeline where a version of Kang is prominently ruling the TVA and has a statue of himself in their headquarters is shown at the ending of the Loki season 1 finale. This is just one example of the Kang Variants that will pop up over the next several years, with Ant-Man 3 the only other project confirmed to include a version of He Who Remains. All of these Kang Variants will have their differences, with some being more heroic and others being true villains.

Loki‘s version of He Who Remains might be dead at the end of the season, but is there a chance that this could be reversed in the future? The Sacred Timeline is a branching mess after Loki‘s finale and Kang allowing them to pass the threshold in time where he didn’t know what would happen next. The show established rules that branched timelines couldn’t be pruned if they cross a red line, but that could also be one of Kang’s TVA tricks. Kang destroyed the multiverse after the MCU’s original Multiverse War and formed the Sacred Timeline, so he or someone else could theoretically do it again. Of course, Loki probably isn’t powerful enough to do this on his own and might have to work with a version of Kang to accomplish this goal. In doing so, Loki‘s version of He Who Remains could possibly return in the MCU’s future.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5627 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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