It would seem that through Loki, Marvel is taking steps to save Thor: The Dark World in a way that’s not at all unlike what WandaVision did with Avengers: Age of Ultron. Though both MCU films were considered box office successes, they’re not held in high regard in comparison to how other Marvel movies are viewed.

When looking at the MCU’s body of work, Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron are a bit low on the list in terms of popularity. Both certainly had their flaws, and are commonly thought of as the weakest installments of their respective franchises. In fact, a large number of fans have labeled The Dark World as the worst of all the MCU movies, though whether or not that’s actually true is debatable. As for why it gets so much criticism, most complaints were directed at its less-than-compelling villain, the poor handling of the Thor-Jane Foster romance, it’s failure to deliver a unique MCU story, and more.

Related: Loki: Every MCU Easter Egg In Episode 1

Loki episode 1 called back to Thor: The Dark World and highlighted one of its most important moments, which was the fate of Loki’s adopted mother, Frigga (Rene Russo). In a scene where Tom Hiddleston’s character witnesses what happened to the main version of Loki, his role in Frigga’s death was explored in a meaningful, emotional manner. Having the situation explained to him by Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) made him reach the painful realization that her dying at the hands of Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) was his fault. Frigga’s death (and Loki’s role in it) always should have been a huge character moment for him, so it was good to see the series focus on it more deeply.

Frigga talking to her son Thor.

Furthermore, Loki gave viewers a glimpse into Loki’s psyche by going into the real reason for why he hurts people. Apparently, it’s all about the illusion of power, and not a desire to bring harm to others. This helps explain why Loki constantly betrayed Thor (including in The Dark World), and struggled with staying on the right path. Another tie to the movie in Loki was the world-building it provided with the multiverse in the Miss Minutes sequence. This concept being a part of the MCU was teased through Eric Selvig’s chalkboard in The Dark World, but only now is it becoming truly important. As the show moves forward, it’s possible that Loki will bring in more connections to the second Thor film, particularly ones pertaining to the God of Mischief’s arc.

As noted above, Thor: The Dark World is a problematic movie, but that doesn’t mean it or any of the other weaker MCU films should be abandoned – nor has that happened. In the case of Avengers: Age of Ultron, many of its events were revisited in detail in WandaVision, and how the Disney+ series addressed them went a long way to making the movie better in retrospect, such as the deep dive into how Wanda got her powers awakened by the Mind Stone, the impact Quicksilver’s death had on her, and HYDRA’s experiments on the twins. Marvel can repeat this formula with Loki, and perhaps as a result leave a better impression of Thor: The Dark World on fans.

Loki releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

More: The Infinity Stones Don’t Matter Any More: Confirmed

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