Loki Episode 5: Infinity Stones theory may reveal the ending
Turns out, they could be more than just paperweights.
Loki set a huge benchmark for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a dozen movies centered around the hunt for the Infinity Stones, Loki relegated them to nothing but desk decorations in the strange, retro-futurist Time Variance Authority headquarters. But their story in the MCU may be far from over.
A new theory suggests they may have actually been influencing the events of Loki all along, hinting that there’s still more to be done with Marvel’s ultimate McGuffins.
TikTokker @she_loves_Marvel found an interesting connection between the TV series and the Infinity Stones. She posits every single episode of Loki is influenced and inspired by a different Stone. Each episode so far has a specific color and theme that corresponds with a Stone, leaving two for the final two episodes. Here’s how it all breaks down.
The Infinity Stones sit in the TVA’s junk drawer in Loki.
- Episode 1 — The Soul Stone — The entirety of the TVA is tinged with orange, and Loki goes through a checkpoint that would obliterate him if he didn’t have a soul. (He does have one.)
- Episode 2 — The Reality Stone — When Sylvie appears, the lighting shifts to a stark red, just like the color of the stone. In that moment, Loki questions his own reality as well as the reality where Sylvie is coming from.
- Episode 3 — The Power Stone — When Loki and Sylvie are on Lamentis, they are surrounded by purple tones. This is the episode where Loki and Sylvie discuss and display their various powers, while coping with being powerless to the TVA and the apocalypse.
- Episode 4 — The Mind Stone — Episode 4 has a lot of gold tones, and it’s the episode where Mobius and Hunter B-15 come face-to-face with the mind control and brainwashing the TVA has put them through.
This means the two stones left for the two remaining episodes are the Space Stone and Time Stone. TikToker @straw_hat_goofy expanded on this original theory and speculated on the final two. According to this theory, Episode 5 will be inspired by the Space Stone, as it will depict Loki’s transportation through to an alternate New York, and the few shots we’ve seen of the next episode are tinted blue.
Loki Episode 4 showed a blue-toned alternate New York in its mid-credits scene.
That leaves the Time Stone for the finale, which is a poetically fitting choice. Loki has always been about time travel, and the Time Stone is green, Loki’s signature color. The theory also states the long-teased Kang the Conqueror appearance as further evidence the finale will include more time shenanigans, but that remains to be seen.
The fact that Loki has six episodes for six Infinity Stones may be a coincidence, but it’s an excellent way to look at each episode as an examination of how each Stone has affected those around it and as a kind of swan song for them.
Will Loki actually acknowledge this connection? Possibly. WandaVision had a meta explanation for what inspired its episodes, and Loki could certainly follow in its footsteps.
Loki is now streaming on Disney+.
