In the latest clip from the MCU Disney+ show Loki, the titular trickster refers to the TVA's Time-Keepers as "space lizards," and here's why. While many villains have come and gone from the MCU over the years, often by getting killed off in grand fashion, it was obvious from the moment Loki debuted in 2011's Thor that he would be someone special in the franchise. Fantastically played by Tom Hiddleston, it was obvious Loki wasn't to be trusted, but he was just so fun to watch that audiences wanted to root for him.
Considering that, it's no wonder that Loki avoided the usual MCU villain death, although he did fake it in Thor: The Dark World. That was until the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, when Thanos made an instant impression by killing Loki with ease, and right after the Asgardian had seemed to achieve full redemption for his past sins. While that was indeed the permanent end of that particular Loki, the introduction of time travel and the multiverse into the MCU made it possible for another Loki to get the spotlight.
Since escaping with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame's alternate 2012 though, Loki has run afoul of the Time Variance Authority, a powerful organization tasked with maintaining the integrity of the timeline. This agency is led by beings called the Time-Keepers. Are they really space lizards, as Loki claims? Well, kind of.
Why Loki Calls The Time-Keepers "Space Lizards"
The Time-Keepers of the MCU have only so far been glimpsed in the form of statues that presumably resemble their real appearances in Loki. While vaguely humanoid, they certainly don't appear to be human beings. In Marvel Comics, the Time-Keepers are decidedly alien in appearance, with green skin and yellow eyes. The trio of beings was created by He Who Remains, the very last director of the Time Variance Authority, in anticipation of the universe's end. Their job is to protect the flow of time, and while far from perfectly benevolent creatures on the page, the commitment they have to their task is unparalleled.
While the Time-Keepers have never normally been referred to as "Space Lizards" before, it makes a bit of sense why Loki might do so. A brash, arrogant Asgardian who's traveled the universe and has mastered illusion, Loki, even in his 2012 state, has likely encountered countless alien species, and he probably didn't find any of them too impressive. Well, other than Titans, for obvious reasons.
Loki believes full well in the superiority of his Asgardian upbringing and lineage, and likely isn't normally phased by meeting new races. At the same time, Loki does seem unnerved by the clear power of the TVA, making it equally as likely that his insults are a defense mechanism due to a real fear that he might've met his match. He'll never come out and admit it, and always try to hide it, but Loki doesn't seem to know how to handle the Time-Keepers. He clearly can't just use magic to escape the TVA's clutches, and that's not a position he's used to being in, so calling them space lizards might be the rage of a desperate god of mischief.