When Marvel Studios launched the Multiverse Saga, one of the biggest additions to the franchise was undoubtedly the Disney Plus TV shows. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe had made a name for itself as the undisputed king of the box office for over a decade, it attempted to do the same on the small screen. Although there were highs and lows along the way, each installment added to the overall story of the MCU, all while introducing us to new, interesting, and lovable heroes.
Then were was Loki, which became a juggernaut, received critical acclaim earned itself a second season and has remained one of the most imperative titles of the Multiverse Saga. It's no surprise, because we have all loved Tom Hiddleston's Trickster for years, but with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, it's safe to say that this series is easily one of the most important projects that the MCU has delivered in years.
But don't take my word for it; just ask Marvel Studios themselves!
Loki becomes the first Marvel show to ever influence an Avengers movie
We are just four months out from the release of Avengers: Doomsday and Marvel Studios has officially unveiled its must-watch list of MCU projects that fans should watch before the larger-than-life event film. Naturally, there are a multitude of MCU movies on there, along with some Marvel movies that predate the franchise in order to prepare fans for the X-Men's arrival. However, in what might just be the biggest surprise of all, Loki is the only Disney Plus show featured on the list - which may or may not be very telling about how Marvel feels about the TV experiment.
Before we begin, here is the full "Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday" watch-list to give you an idea of what you should be watching before the massive movie event and how Loki makes history as the only show on the list:
- X-Men
- X2: X-Men United
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- The Avengers
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Loki
- Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Deadpool and Wolverine
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Thunderbolts*
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
It's quite the list, and I'll go ahead and say that I love every single project featured on it. But I'll also go ahead and say that Loki being the only show on the list is genuinely shocking. Obviously, we haven't seen Avengers: Doomsday yet so we can't speak to what other projects are or aren't relevant, but there have been a lot of points made by fans when it comes to which projects were left off (the absence of The Marvels, in particular, - which features a game-changing post-credits scene particularly relevant to Avengers: Doomsday - was a surprise).
That's not to say that Loki isn't deserving of a spot on the list; believe me, I get it: There's a good chance that it might be the most important project on that list. It's just that there are other projects that deserved a shoutout too, and it is - once again - very telling about Marvel's current stance on the Multiverse Saga's TV show era.
Loki saw the God of Mischief join the Time Variance Authority after being transported to the facility - which exists outside of space and time itself - by its own Hunters. This iteration of the character came about in Avengers: Endgame when Earth's Mightiest Heroes accidentally dropped the Tesseract in front of him when travelling back to the events of 2012's The Avengers. The then-villainous Loki didn't experience all of the redemption that his main timeline counterpart did, but his time with the TVA saw him undergo a new redemption arc instead.
Having single-handedly turned the TVA around, Loki became a valued member of the organization in season 2, forming a real bond with Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) - as well as bonding with his own variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). He then ascended to the throne he never thought he would take, selflessly throwing his own hopes and dreams away so that he could preserve the timelines of the multiverse - enchanting them with his own magic after the Temporal Loom was destroyed. The God of Mischief became the God of Stories.
Hiddleston is set to reprise his role as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday when he will undoubtedly come face-to-face with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom - who is posing a major threat to the multiverse itself. There are fears that the God of Stories will perish as a result of that, but considering that we are all waiting for Loki's reunion with Thor (who is still unaware that his brother is alive), we highly doubt that this will happen. If anything, Loki may well be the Avengers' secret weapon.
Just like its titular character, Disney Plus' Loki has been burdened with Glorious Purpose. And, in being so, it has made MCU history.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives in movie theaters on December 18, 2026.
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