The director of Loki had no idea the Infinity Stones were in the show’s script

Kate Herron, the director of Loki, had no idea the Infinity Stones were in head writer Michael Waldron’s script. The latest Disney+ series from Marvel Studios has transformed everything fans know about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which seemed inevitable from the outset. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Tom Hiddleston’s trickster Loki was jailed by the Time Variance Authority, the governing organization that regulates the Scared Timeline, in 2012.

Time Variance Authority

The God of Mischief first doubts the TVA’s omnipotence and strength. He then comes across a drawer filled with discarded Infinity Stones (being used as paperweights). Because the Infinity Stones were judged the most powerful items in the MCU throughout its first three Phases, both the audience and Loki recognise the TVA as the universe’s greatest power.

The TVA’s power is brilliantly conveyed in this scene, making Loki and Sylvie’s (Sophia Di Martino) aim to bring down the TVA and its inventor all the more useless. However, the pair met He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in his Citadel at the End of Time in the finale, a meeting the Kang version not only anticipated, but also prepared.

Herron said in an interview with Variety that when he read the script and realised the Infinity Stones are useless under the TVA, he felt the same surprise and horror as Loki. She was unaware that the Infinity Stones would be featured in the episode until she received Waldron’s screenplay. Herron went on to explain how much she enjoyed the fans’ reaction, which she said was similar to Loki’s.

Infinity Stones

Take a look at what Herron had to say in the following paragraphs:

“When I originally got Michael’s script to pitch [for the directing position], that was in it. ‘WHAT?!’ I recalled thinking. You’ve put me through a lot!’ But then I realised, ‘Oh, it’s kind of brilliant because it demonstrates the TVA’s power.’ Who are these individuals? “What is this place?” says the narrator. “It sparked my curiosity. It really demonstrates that the MCU has a new power—and it’s not what we’ve spent the previous decade working on.”

Loki returns to a vastly different TVA staffed by freshly-wiped versions and ruled by Kang the Conqueror in the finale, putting multiversal madness front and centre. Loki, being the most influential arrival in Phase 4 thus far, completely rewrites the MCU’s power structure. Viewers can formally bid Thanos the Infinity Stones farewell by rendering them worthless and potentially having six episodes inspired by their different powers.