Infinity Stones are out, Nexus events are in.
That seems to be the message of Marvel Studios’s Phase 4 so far. While the aptly-named Infinity Saga threw in nods to the six Infinity Stones leading up to the mad dash to collect them all in Avengers: Infinity War, this new era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe appears to be leading up to a Nexus event to shake up the overarching story of the franchise. (And to further make the point that Infinity Stones are yesterday’s news, Loki showed about a dozen of them sitting in an office drawer at Time Variance Authority headquarters.)
WandaVision was the first to bring up the idea, presenting it as a fictional medication in one of the show’s mid-episode “commercials”. Much like the Infinity Stones, this first name-drop was a reference only those familiar with the comic source material would understand, with the only hint at its larger significance to those not “in the know” being the drug’s ability to take you back to “the reality of your choice”.
The Nexus Event Is Imminent
The Infinity Stones got a slow build-up to stardom, but if Loki is any indication, a Nexus event is going to happen in the MCU sooner rather than later (perhaps even before the season is done). Thanks to the adorable Miss Minutes, viewers found out what a Nexus event was – and the trouble it could cause – within the first hour of the series. Wanda’s subliminal Nexus medication may have been able to take her to the reality of her choice, but a Nexus event as described in Loki has the power to disrupt reality, and potentially lead to a(nother) Multiversal War.
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That right there is the indication that a Nexus event is imminent in the MCU; the sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange is set to come out in less than a year, and if Miss Minutes’s monologue in the Loki premiere is any indication, the Multiverse of Madness in its title will probably stem from one. Spider-Man: No Way Home is also unofficially confirmed to deal with Multiverse shenanigans, so a Nexus event may come even sooner than 2022.
Of course, there’s also the possibility (maybe even the probability?) that the information touted by Miss Minutes is incorrect, or at least incomplete. The character comes off as a propaganda machine (albeit a very cute one) so there’s probably something she – or more accurately, whoever is in control of her – is hiding from the Time Variance Authority’s prisoners (and perhaps even its workers) and by extension, the audience. However, the fact that information about Nexus and multiple realities has been included in two out of three projects in Phase 4 so far means that it is certainly something to take note of.
Marvel Studios knows its shows and movies have to go bigger (at least in some respects) to keep audiences invested in the MCU. And what’s on a larger-scale than a huge battle with nearly every character to appear in the franchise’s first decade? A war featuring characters of multiple versions of the Marvel universe crossing over with each other.
The question now is…how can Marvel top the scale of a Multiverse of Madness?
Loki Official Synopsis
In Marvel Studios’ “Loki,” the mercurial villain Loki (Tom Hiddleston) resumes his role as the God of Mischief in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Kate Herron directs and Michael Waldron is head writer. Debuts on Disney+ in June 9, 2021.
Loki airs on Wednesdays on Disney+. What did you think of the second episode of the season? Do you think we will see a Nexus event during the show’s first season? If not, in what other property do you think it will occur? Leave all your thoughts and theories on the Multiverse and beyond in the comment section below or over on our social media!
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