Loki's finale aired this week, and during the credits of the show, it was confirmed that Loki will return for season two - this makes it the first of the Disney+ shows to get this treatment, and suggests the complex time shenanigans of the show will have a major impact on the MCU moving forwards. Be warned, if you are yet to watch Loki's season finale, some pretty major spoilers lie dead ahead.

Loki's ending brought with it something Marvel fans have been waiting to see for a while. A multiverse, the existence of which in the MCU was effectively confirmed when Marvel revealed Dr. Strange's sequel will be called In the Multiverse of Madness. WandaVision didn't offer up the multiverse answers fans had been hoping for, despite teasing them pretty hard, but Loki very much did. Wanda fans can rest easy though, Scarlet Witch will be in In the Multiverse of Madness, so she could still have a major role in the multiverse saga.

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Sylvie's failure to trust Loki in the season finale has opened up the Sacred Timeline to attacks from an infinite number of other worlds, all led by Kang, although since he didn't say his own name, you'd be forgiven for not knowing that. It's an exciting time for MCU fans, especially after having to wait longer than ever before between movies thanks to the pandemic. However, it's also a potentially confusing time for fans who have not been diligently taking notes or have a background in comic book knowledge, especially with three TV shows to keep up with on top of the movies.

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Until now, Marvel has done a pretty impressive job of making what is a very intricate comic book world accessible to pretty much everyone while also keeping die-hard fans happy. It's why Avengers: Endgame was briefly the highest-grossing movie of all time before Avatar reclaimed its crown. As it delves deeper and deeper into a fictional world where infinite versions of heroes and villains can pop up anywhere and at anytime, the risk of those casual fans running off becomes greater.

The introduction of TV shows that have a direct impact on the MCU's movie world is risky enough. I have already seen some on social media bemoaning the fact they now have to watch three seasons (and counting, with What If...? and Hawkeye on the way) of TV on top of 20+ movies just to keep abreast of what is happening across the MCU. While the MCU has always been interlinked with Avengers and related team ups, the properties were still distinct. What happens in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has no real bearing on Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol.2 or Thor: Ragnarok. Now, with Wanda in Doctor Strange, Thor in the Guardians, Yelena in Hakweye, Black Panther's guards in Falcon & the Winter Soldier, and various crossovers planned or hinted at for the future, everything leads into each other in far more tangible ways.

The story told in Loki's finale, and what it means for the next phase of the MCU, makes it feel as if these connections between each storyline are stronger and more important than ever. I have seen everything the MCU has to offer multiple times and watching those beautiful timelines branch made my head hurt. As did the thought of having to explain to my mum who Kang is the next time she decides to see a Marvel movie three years from now.

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Before now, Marvel has rewarded fans who have seen everything by linking its projects together, but it few have been necessary viewing to the point that all future instalments no longer makes sense. While that appears to be unavoidable from here on in, Marvel could well prove me wrong. It has managed to appeal to just about everyone up until now, so who am I to say that it can't keep doing that going forward? With so many projects on the docket for next few years, the roadmap for the MCU between now and 2023 and beyond likely looks as confusing as those branching timelines. Keeping the millions of casual fans coming to see its movies will be Marvel's priority, but if Loki's ending has no effect on Spider-Man: No Way Home, I'll be very confused given the world ending ramifications, and I won't be the only one.

That balance is going to become harder and harder to maintain with each passing movie and TV show. Think the knife Thanos gives to Gamora when he balances it on his finger. That was Marvel with casual fans on one side and die-hard fans on the other right up until Thanos' own death. Sylvie's blade has now upset that balance, and it will be fascinating to watch how Marvel tackles it going forward.

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