11 'Loki' Episode 2 Easter Eggs And What They Could Mean For The Marvel Cinematic Universe
The second episode of Loki has arrived on Disney+. Along with the shocking revelation of a new character entering the fray (who may not be who we think they are), there are plenty of Easter eggs and hidden details to pick up on throughout. In fact, there's a huge swath of Easter eggs that involve the Sacred Timeline itself! So, let's dig into some Loki episode 2 Easter eggs and talk about what they mean,
Naturally, this means major spoilers for the second episode of Loki.
Before we begin, we'd just like to clarify that Easter eggs are not clear and obvious references to the comics that Marvel Studios is adapting. Take a spin around the internet and you'll see articles labeling Lady Loki and Loki's daggers as Easter eggs. Those aren't Easter eggs. For some real Easter eggs, keep reading below.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
This episode begins with a renaissance faire set in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the year 1985, and this reference digs back into the history of Marvel Comics.
First of all, Marvel Comics editor/writer Mark Gruenwald hails from this town in Wisconsin. If you've never heard his name before, he's responsible for creating Flag-Smasher, Battlestar, and U.S. Agent, three Marvel Comics characters who should sound familiar to those who just finished The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
However, even deeper than that, the character of Mobius in the comics was originally drawn to resemble Mark Gruenwald. That signature mustache that Owen Wilson is sporting? That's all because of Gruenwald's real-life mustache. So we owe Gruenwald for a lot of cool things that are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe this year.
Frost Giant Loki
A number of alternate versions of Loki are shown when Mobius is talking about which one they might encounter when heading to the renaissance fair to track down the deadly variant that has been hunting the TVA. The very first version of Loki seems to offer up a version who doesn't choose to hide his blue Frost Giant skin. Don't forget: Loki is a shapeshifter, and the earliest shapeshifting he did was to distance himself from his Frost Giant heritage by changing his skin from being blue to a more common flesh tone.
More Hexagons
Hexagons were quite prominent in WandaVision, even defining the shape of Wanda Maximoff's artificial TV world that she created in New Jersey. That's how it came to be referred to as The Hex, which also doubles as a reference to witchcraft.
In this episode of Loki, there's a prominent shot of a hexagon coaster that Mobius is asked to put his drink on in Ravonna Renslayer's office. We're not sure if it's meant to symbolize anything, but an insert shot showing the drink on the coaster could imply it's something we may want to note.
Franklin D. Roosevelt High School
This maybe doesn't qualify as an Easter egg, mostly because we don't know what it's referencing. However, we wanted to call attention to it because it seems awfully strange to focus on such a little detail that seemingly has no impact on the story.
When Mobius takes care of some red tape while convincing Revonna Renslayer to let him keep taking Loki out on this new variant case, he notices the pen the judge is using says "Franklin D. Roosevelt High School." He chalks it up to being something she got from another agent she's sweet on, perhaps the same one who gave her a snowglobe keepsake from another case.
We're betting this is a detail that will end up leading Mobius to realize that Renslayer is up to something nefarious. It's the kind of little clue that would suddenly make sense to a detective trying to crack a case. Perhaps that means this criminal Loki variant is trying to stop whatever Renslayer is trying to pull off and may not be the real villain of the series.
Se7en Needle Drop
Loki has a touch of David Fincher running through it, with a style that feels reminiscent of both Se7en and Zodiac. But there's actually a far more direct reference to Se7en, and it's even been confirmed by director Kate Herron. The director previously confirmed: "There's a little reference to Se7en in episode 2 of a little needle drop, which I'm sure fans of that film will recognize instantly."
The needle drop in question occurs when Loki tries to get access to more materials from the Time Variance Authority library. The clerk he asks for help from is listening to Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D Major by Johann Sebastian Bach. That just so happens to be the piece of music playing when Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) and Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) are in the process of researching the killer they're pursuing in Fincher's twisted classic. The next time Loki is working hard in the library, we better hear "In Motion" from the Social Network soundtrack.
Thor #372
We love these little comic book references that pop up in the Marvel Studios movies and TV shows. In this case, the number 372 can be seen in the background of the TVA library. Thor #372 just so happens to mark the second appearance of the TVA in Marvel Comics, just as this is their second appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Roxxcart
When Loki realizes that the TVA needs to start looking in places where major disasters are occurring that can disguise when a variant event is taking place, they end up in the middle of a hurricane shelter at a superstore called Roxxcart. This is a reference to Roxxon, a massive corporation from within Marvel Comics. This isn't the first time Roxxon has been referenced in Marvel TV shows, having been seen in Agents of SHIELD, Daredevil, Runaways, and even Cloak & Dagger. But there's an even more intriguing link that Roxxon has in Marvel Comics.
During Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman's run in Thor comics, Roxxon played a big part. That also happens to be the same comic arc that turns Jane Foster into the Mighty Thor, something that we'll see happen in Thor: Love & Thunder next year. Perhaps Roxxon (or Roxxcart) will be making another appearance in that sequel.
Marvel Locations Attacked on the Timeline
When the Variant (more on that later) drops a bunch of TVA reset grenades in various locations on the Sacred Timeline, a lot of key Marvel locations are part of the attack. Here they are, with a brief reminder of where we've seen them before:
As for the references to real places on Earth, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for their involvement in this attack, at least not yet. There don't appear to be many major disasters or historical points of interest to make them prominent. The towns of Kingsport and Cookeville can both be found in Tennessee, so maybe someone on the Loki crew is paying tribute to their home state. Plus, New York 1947 is referenced, which is when part of the Agent Carter series unfolded. That might add fuel to the fire about a certain Captain America time travel theory floating around.
It should also be noted that before the timeline goes haywire, the locations Knowhere and Niflheim are shown. Knowhere is the severed head of a deceased Celestial avatar and home of the mining colony of Exitar. It's also where the Collector was housing his many items in Guardians of the Galaxy. As for Niflheim, that's the realm of the Frost Giants. There's also passing reference to Nidavellir on one of the TVA monitors, which is the star where Thor, Rocket, and Groot went to forge Stormbreaker in Avengers: Inifnity War in order to kill Thanos.
A-23 and San Diego
During an earlier scene in Ravonna Renslayer's office, Mobius comments on a snowglobe sitting on her shelf, calling it a trophy from a previous case. It's from a case that he didn't work on, so he can't help but call it out. It's initially too far away to make out any detail of what it might be, but a later shot reveals the base and it says "San Diego" on it. There's nothing about snowglobes and San Diego in Marvel Comics, but we're thinking this might be a nod to Comic-Con fans, who regularly make the pilgrimage to that city.
When the timeline starts going crazy, we see Ravonna Renslayer in her office and she reaches for her baton sitting on the shelf next to her other trophies. One of the other items sitting there is her old Minutemen helmet from when she was a lower ranking employee of the TVA. The designation painted on her helmet is A-23. Renslayer first appeared in Marvel Comics in Avengers #23.
Sylvie Lushton?!
In the credits for Loki, the new character played by Sophia Di Martino is listed as "The Variant." Since it's a woman appearing dressed as Loki and the TVA has referred to her as a version of the God of Mischief, everyone (including ourselves) has been assuming that this is none other than Lady Loki. However, the Castilian Spanish credits list "The Variant" as having the name Sylvie, and that's an entirely different character than Lady Loki.
In Marvel Comics, Sylvie Lushton is a human girl from Oklahoma who gains magical powers soon after the Asgardians settle their new home in Oklahoma. These powers were actually bestowed upon her by Loki, who was up to some of his old trickery simply because he "liked the idea of creating a mortal who suspects she's one of my kind." What a dick.
Sylvie eventually takes on the mantle of Enchantress, not to be confused with the character of the same name from Suicide Squad. Perhaps she's pissed because Loki messed with her so senselessly and she's out for revenge. But at the same time, she flat-out tells Loki that her actions having nothing to do with him. There are a lot of possibilities here, but since we've spent so little time with this character so far, we're not sure what to expect just yet.
The second episode of Loki is streaming now on Disney+.