In a pivotal scene from Loki Season 2, both Kang and Renslayer appear to have undergone retconning to align more closely with their comic book counterparts.
Loki Season 2, Episode 1, introduces significant retcons to the backstory of Kang and Ravonna Renslayer, rendering them more akin to their comic book depictions. In Loki Season 1, Ravonna Renslayer was introduced as a TVA judge and a close friend of Mobius, although their relationship encountered turmoil in the final episode. Meanwhile, Kang was portrayed as The One Who Remains, the eccentric guardian of the MCU’s Sacred Timeline, eventually meeting his demise at the hands of Sylvie after cautioning the Lokis about other Kang variants within the MCU – who are now undoubtedly set to disrupt the timeline.
The first episode of the new Loki season unveiled several monumental revelations. These included the introduction of the Temporal Loom, Loki’s apparent ability to traverse time within the TVA (despite the supposed timelessness of the TVA), and Renslayer’s involvement in the MCU’s Multiversal War. Although the Multiversal War has not been referenced since MCU Phase 4, its mention in Loki Season 2 carries profound implications.
In the closing moments of Loki Season 1, Renslayer made her exit from the TVA in pursuit of ‘free will,’ leaving her destination unknown. At this juncture, she seemed unaware of the Multiversal War elucidated by He Who Remains to Loki and Sylvie in the Void. However, Loki Season 2’s inaugural plot twist came in the form of a recorded message discovered in the past, revealing a significant revelation: Renslayer had prior awareness of the Multiversal War and had a notable role to play in it.
This revelation was underscored by Kang’s damning words: ‘Ravonna Renslayer, you are quite a marvel. I will be proud to lead with you. You made a difference in this war. Thank you for being on my team.’ The disclosure in Loki Season 2 indicates that Renslayer is not as innocent as she initially seemed, even though she ostensibly underwent the same memory-wipe as her fellow TVA colleagues. Moreover, it portrays Renslayer in Loki as aligning more closely with her Marvel Comics counterpart, particularly given the romantic undertones alluded to in the recording.
In the comic series, Ravonna Renslayer is depicted as a princess romantically involved with Kang. Originating from an alternate Earth in the 40th century, she initially served as Kang’s adversary until he won her affection by conquering her kingdom, Eximietatius. Their relationship became intricately complex from then on, ultimately leading to their deaths. Both characters went to great lengths to revive each other. Their storyline involved encounters with the Avengers, Kang’s arch-nemeses, on numerous occasions, where they alternated between combat and alliances against common adversaries, including various Kang variants.
It appears that Loki is positioning Renslayer to play a crucial role in the MCU, potentially as a love interest for Kang, engaging with him in battles against the Avengers. Renslayer’s comic book background is closely linked to the Victor Timely variant of Kang, a character confirmed to make an appearance in Loki Season 2. Hence, Renslayer is bound to reemerge in this season, whether as an antagonist or a remorseful hero.