Loki Mocks Vision's Fake Westview Reality

The Loki premiere poked fun of Westview's fake reality from WandaVision. Marvel Studios' Phase 4 has progressed on the small screen thanks to its exclusive content on Disney+. So far, there have been three MCU TV shows, including the ongoing Tom Hiddleston-led project, featuring the actor reprising his role as the God of Mischief. While the shows have been separated from each other, subtle references emphasize the franchise's interconnected storytelling.

Loki's first episode, titled "Glorious Purpose," features many Easter eggs connected to elements within the bigger MCU. That includes kicking things off with the re-telling of the trickster's escape in Avengers: Endgame's time heist with the Tesseract, which resulted in him being arrested by the Time Variance Authority, or TVA. It's worth noting that the version of the character is from 2012, meaning he is pre-redeemed and hasn't experienced the rest of his arc past his defeat in The Avengers. He learns about his fate, however, in the Sacred Timeline thanks to Agent Mobius M. Mobius, who catches him up on the life he would've lived if he stayed his course and didn't branch out from the proper flow of time. Despite this, Marvel Studios was still able to sneak in a subtle meta-reference to what happened in WandaVision during one of Loki's signature rants.

During his sit-down meeting with Mobius, the TVA Agent insists that he only wants to understand what makes Loki tick. The God of Mischief is unconvinced; despite everything he has seen thus far, he remains dubious of the organization holding him captive. Having no way to explain what exactly is happening, he claims that it's all an illusion, "a cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear, a desperate attempt at control." This line goes full circle when Loki later admits that this is the same motivation behind his antics. But, it can also be interpreted as a reference to the fake reality of Wanda and Vision in WandaVision. Marvel Studios' inaugural Disney+ project featured the couple moving to Westview and living the ideal suburbia life. To this date, it remains to be the most unique MCU project as it's inspired by sitcoms from yesteryears, but eventually, it was revealed that almost everything in it was an illusion. Even the existence of Vision, and their kids, Billy and Tommy, were fantastical, created through Scarlet Witch's accidental use of Chaos Magic.

As Loki said, the illusion "was a desperate attempt at control." While the creation of the Hex that led to the Maximoff Anomaly was purely inadvertent, it was also part of Wanda trying to reign in on her grief of losing Vision in Avengers: Infinity War. This was merely the last factor that tipped her over the edge, however. Tragedies have defined Scarlet Witch's life in the MCU, hence why in WandaVision's penultimate episode, Agatha Harkness forced her to address her trauma that started from the death of her parents in war-torn Sokovia that she had suppressed for years. On the heels of Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver’s demise in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda candidly talked about drowning in her sorrows; every time she attempted to get back on her feet, she's hit by a new wave that would knock her down. As one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, it's heartbreaking that she felt powerless throughout her multiple losses.

Since Loki and WandaVision exist in separate MCU timelines, there's really no outright narrative link between the projects. However, both are confirmed to tie in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which could ultimately result in the God of Mischief and Scarlet Witch finally meeting for the first time. In the meantime, however, expect Marvel Studios to further establish the multiverse in the Hiddleston-starring series as his trickster character officially starts partnering with the TVA to catch a more evil variant of himself.

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