Warning: The following article on how Loki Season 2’s finale proves everything has to end contains spoilers.
Everyone’s story has a beginning, middle and end. The only beings that don’t are those of fiction. They can go on forever, and in the case of comic books, they are usually always forever in the middle of their story. These are prevalent in Western comics, after all, no one wants to see their favourite superhero’s journey end. In the case of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has been especially tricky to work this out as a few characters have reached the end of their journey.
Now with Loki Season 2 having come to an emotional climax, I believe that endings are pivotal for the greater story to continue as well as to show reverence for the characters finding their purpose at the end of all things.
I am Loki of Asgard
Loki’s journey began back in 2011’s Thor. Here we met the god of mischief, the petulant child. Much like his brother, he was full of his own kind of arrogance. Throughout the course of the film and all the revelations he changed. He’s a character looking for a purpose. As a child trapped between two peoples, he was constantly looking for a home, for a time he didn’t believe he had one, until it was too late.
During the events of The Avengers, he was unstable, wild and broken. It wasn’t until a mistake made by a time-travelling Avenger occurred, did he seize his chance, his chance to rewrite the story.
Related: Loki Recap: Season 2’s Premiere Embraces the Problem of Timelines
Within the TVA, Loki becomes a force for something, not quite good, but something necessary. This is the second act of his life. This is the moment where a near-immortal being can make a difference. By facing his variant Sylvie and his own atrocities Loki grows even more. He learns of his own seemingly insignificant place in the multiverse thanks to He Who Remains and tries to understand what that means for him going forward.
This all comes to a head as Loki battles to keep the multiverse from falling apart throughout Season 2. Ultimately what makes this such a personal battle for Loki, is that he’s not doing it for the Multiverse, he’s doing it for his friends. It’s something, sweet, personal and unexpected from the once would-be king.
Glorious purpose and all the burden attached
When Loki took hold of those branches and sat upon his throne, he knew that was it. He had found his glorious purpose, he was finally a king and he was shackled by that burden. Much like Thor, he had finally understood his father’s words, “A wise king never seeks out war, but he is ready for it.”
I hope that Kevin Feige and Marvel understand that they have given a character a perfect send-off, perhaps the best send-off in the entirety of the MCU. By giving Loki this bittersweet climax he has become worthy. His story is over, as Tom Hiddleston stated himself, “It all comes full circle.” It’s poetic, something akin to myth. It is a tragic and emotional reflection of Loki’s darker chapter in Thor, “For you, for all of us.”
This is a lesson Marvel needs to learn going forward because bringing him back in any capacity would be disrespectful to the character, the actor and the storytellers who decided to close this final chapter of his story. After all Hiddleston himself has stated this was it for him, “It’s also the conclusion to 6 films and 12 episodes and 14 years of my life, it’s been a journey.”
If you want to look at it from a simply professional point of view, the writers have even come out with their own definitive opinions, “We approached this as like two halves of a book, season one, first half, season two, we close the book on Loki and the TVA.”
All you have to look at for comparison is the treatment of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov, two fellow heroes who have fallen in the past. The simple rumour of their return has been met with divisive opinions, for me it feels cheap and unwarranted.
Regardless of these rumours though, I have to reiterate that Loki’s final chapter has been an emotional and potent piece of storytelling. Loki may not have been worthy to wield Mjolnir but in the end, he is worthy to bear the weight of something far more precious and that is a fitting end to one of the best characters in the MCU.
