When Thanos snapped Loki’s neck at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, fans were sure that it would be the last they ever saw of their favorite trouble-making trickster. In previous films, such as Thor: The Dark World, the sneaky god has been able to fake his own death and resurrect himself when the time is right, but something about his fate in Avengers: Infinity War felt more final.

Unfortunately, Loki didn’t make any sort of miraculous recovery during any of Marvel’s most recent films, but fans still caught a glimpse of him in Avengers: Endgame, when the heroes traveled back in time to their first battle against the evils of outer space. Time travel opened up the possibility of a multi-verse in the MCU, so when it comes time for Loki to be released on Disney Plus, there are a few things Marvel needs to address in order for the show to be a success. 

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Marvel’s timeline is mostly cohesive, but there are still a few questionable gaps that need to be filled. The first is when exactly Loki will take place. When Loki stole the tesseract in Avengers: Endgame and flashed out of sight, it technically happened in the year 2012, when the first movie of the Avengers franchise takes place. This means that Loki also has the potential to be set in the year 2012, before Thanos, Ultron, and even Thor: Ragnarok were on the horizon. Before the MCU can create a compelling storyline for the troublesome Norse god, Loki needs to address how it will fit into the timeline Marvel has created for its characters.

Secondly, Loki needs to address whether or not Loki’s unexpected escape in Avengers: Endgame will have a ripple effect on the rest of the timeline. As explained by the Ancient One guarding Sanctum Sanctorum, the timeline requires a delicate balance and one wrong move could cause a series of disasters to follow, or destroy a timeline in its entirety. Now that Loki has disrupted the natural order, the show should explain what the result of his careless behavior has had on the universe. 

The third big issue the MCU needs to tackle is how they’re going to create a compelling storyline with a character who has actually regressed. In the original Avengers film, Loki and his alien army were defeated, signifying the start of his journey as a reformed villain. That crucial bit of character development was eliminated during Avengers: Endgame when Loki reclaimed the tesseract, because he still managed to avoid the consequences of his actions. Loki will be reprising his role as a chaotic criminal, going back to his old ways before he became one of the loyal protectors of Asgard, as seen in his most recent films. Loki needs to explain how exactly the altered timeline will change him as a person, while still giving fans the same character they’ve grown to love. 

In addition to Loki’s return as the result of an altered timeline, Loki has to come up with a reason as to why the Avengers didn’t come back to finish the job. It’s extremely unlike Thor and the rest of the gang to accept defeat and allow for wanted criminals to roam the galaxy unchecked, especially because they were all still alive during Loki’s escape in Avengers: Endgame.

Fans know that Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, and Steve Rogers gave their lives during their fight against Thanos, but this critical part of the Avengers storyline has yet to happen in the year 2012. Someone needs to keep Loki in line while he attempts to wreak havoc on the rest of the universe and based on what fans have seen while watching the show's official trailer, someone has managed to capture him after his escape. The show must explain why these new heroes are better suited for the job than the beloved and all-powerful Avengers, who already managed to defeat his alien army.  

Finally, the upcoming show needs to tell fans where Loki’s relationship with his brother stands. He and Thor have had their ups and downs, constantly battling it out with each other to be the better son. If Loki is going to be set after his escape with the tesseract in 2012, the pair will have some serious damage control to do. Thor and Loki’s relationship didn’t start to truly heal until the events of Thor: Ragnarok, and their brotherly bonding experience was short-lived since Loki lost his life (again) not long after.

Knowing how exactly Thor and Loki feel about each other in the new series will undoubtedly shape Loki’s actions, and could play a critical role in unveiling some of his complicated backstory. As fans know from previous films, Loki’s adoption made him a shadow to Thor in their father’s eyes, so taking a closer look at the relationship between Thor and Loki could provide a lot more context for why Loki does the things he does. 

Loki starts streaming June 11th on Disney Plus

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