Everything in Marvel is connected. Always has been, always will be. Crossovers and post-credit teases for future movies are often fair game, but we still didn’t expect a reference to one of the more ‘out there’ aspects of the MCU to crop up in Loki episode 4. It’s the first tentative step, too, in helping set up one of Marvel’s far-flung projects – so well worth zeroing in on in case you missed it first time ‘round.
Mild spoilers for Loki follow. You have been warned!
Bemoaning the slippery nature of Sylvie during a conversation with Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku), Owen Wilson’s Mobius recalls other past captives at the TVA that haven’t caused nearly half the amount of trouble as the Loki Variant.
"We brought in Kree, Titans, vampires. Why is it the two orphan demigods are such a pain in the ass?"
The Kree we know: the warrior race that terrorized Skrulls in Captain Marvel and can count Ronan the Accuser among its members are a fearsome bunch. Titans, of course, have links to Thanos. Vampires, meanwhile, are completely at odds with what we have seen so far.
What that does do, however, is set up Marvel’s most prominent vampire hunter, Blade. If time travel, Variants, and alligator Lokis can all co-exist in the same show, it’s now no longer a leap to suggest vampires can inhabit the same universe as, say, Spider-Man or Scarlet Witch.
It’s not just an Easter egg that'll be left hanging in limbo either. Blade is being rebooted for the MCU with Mahershala Ali stepping into the well-worn boots of the half-human, half-vampire hybrid once played by Wesley Snipes.
If nothing else, Marvel planting the seed now at least means Blade’s undead edges are unlikely to be dulled in the MCU and could even be a return to the form of Wesley Snipes’ quintessential bloodsucking trilogy.
But, for now, back to Loki. In case you missed it, there’s a post-credits scene that opens up the show’s final act in a big way. The Loki episode 4 ending has not only provided serious revelations, but even some major new characters – whose identities have now been revealed.
Catch up on the MCU story so far with our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
