Marvel's What If...? episode 4 contradicts Loki regarding the extent of Kang's control over time, which confirms that one character is even more powerful than the famed conqueror. What If...? episode 4 has introduced one of the most powerful characters in MCU history in the form of Strange Supreme, the corrupted version of Doctor Strange. While the evil sorcerer is powerful enough to destroy an entire universe by himself, it's his former mentor that showcases more power than He Who Remains and his variants.

Loki established that He Who Remains worked with different variants of himself to control the flow of time and bring order to the Multiverse. With the Sacred Timeline under his control and the Time Variance Authority to police it, the very fabric of reality could remain untouched. This made He Who Remains the ultimate judge and jury of destiny in the MCU, making him the character with the most influence in the franchise. After Sylvie killed He Who Remains in the Loki finale, his variant Kang the Conqueror is expected to be more powerful and more cruel than his older counterpart.

Related: New Powers Doctor Strange Could Have In Multiverse of Madness

What If...? episode 4 features the Ancient One disregarding the rules of the TVA as she reappears after her death to inform Strange about dangerous changes in the timeline. In fact, the Ancient One is the one who splits the timeline in two in order to keep Doctor Strange as a heroic alternative to Strange Supreme. Such a feat definitely wouldn't go under the TVA's radar, and unless they received a direct order from He Who Remains to ignore it, the Ancient One's actions make her the only character powerful enough to successfully defy the wishes of He Who Remains.

He Who Remains, the Ancient One, and Doctor Strange Supreme in What If

The destruction of Strange Supreme's universe suggests that nobody, including the non-corrupted Doctor Strange, the Ancient One, the Watcher, the Avengers, the TVA, and He Who Remains, could do anything to stop reality from collapsing. Either He Who Remains allowed this to happen or he wasn't powerful enough to stop it. Not only is the Ancient One able to overcome death but also delay the destruction of an entire universe while she's at it. As powerful as Kang will be in the MCU, it's unlikely that he will be able to go around splitting timelines so smoothly.

By What If...? episode 4, the rules of the Multiverse in the MCU are quite unclear. Concepts like the extent of the TVA's jurisdiction and the nature of variants keep changing, and the power level of characters like the Ancient One, Kang, Loki, and Thanos fluctuates as Phase 4 moves forward. It's likely that future episodes of Marvel's What If...? and upcoming titles like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will clarify how the MCU Multiverse really works. Until then, it looks like He Who Remains isn't so commanding over time as Loki made it look - at least not over every alternate reality.

More: Doctor Strange Just Broke The Ancient One’s One Rule

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