Loki season 2 premieres with subtle Moon Knight tease

The first episode of Loki season 2, titled Ouroboros, aired on October 5, 2023, and hides a clever nod to another MCU Disney+ show. During the episode's climax, while Loki is Time slipping throughout the TVA, we are greeted with a reference to Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight from the Disney+ series.

Did you catch the Moon Knight Easter egg in episode 1 of Loki Season 2? (Image via Disney+)

MCU naysayers have frequently expressed concerns about what they perceive to be a lack of connection in its Phase 4 and Phase 5 projects. With the introduction of the Multiverse and Kang the Conqueror in Loki season 1, back in 2021, the notion came crashing down.

And now, it seems as though Loki season 2 will carry on this pattern from the very first episode, paving the way for a network of interrelated storylines that we can expect from the future of this series and perhaps even future MCU projects.

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Loki season 2 episode 1 references Oscar Issac’s Moon Knight

The debut episode of Loki Season 2 reveals a subtle yet intriguing link between the new odyssey of the God of Mischief and the fist of Khonshu, aka Moon Knight. A scene towards the end of the episode features Casey, a well-known TVA employee from season 1, who is overheard listening to the "Staying Awake" podcast—this happens to be the same podcast that Steven Grant, played by Oscar Isaac, listened to in the first episode of Moon Knight.

As Casey takes off his headphones, fans are treated to the familiar phrase, "Solving puzzles is a great way to keep your mind occupied." Familiar because, if fans remember, this is the same phrase that echoed in the first episode of Moon Knight and was what Steven Grant was listening to while he struggled to stay awake and played with a Rubik's cube.

This smart nod to the 2022 series may imply that there is more to what happens next than meets the eye, perhaps even implying a causal connection between Loki and Moon Knight.

This isn't the first time Marvel Studios has carefully mixed aspects from their two famed Disney+ series, Loki and Moon Knight. Marc Spector faces a bandit dressed in Kang's colors and an Egyptian pharaoh's design in Moon Knight episode 3, which is an obvious reference to Kang Variant Rama-Tut.

A compelling theory is that the TVA is linked to the events of Moon Knight. Given that Moon Knight's exploits featured gods, the afterlife, and other remarkable happenings that may alter the timeline, Casey may have been tasked with watching Steven Grant/Marc Spector, and that’s how he acquired the podcast. Furthermore, the Egyptian references in both episodes may allude to the need for TVA surveillance.

Could Moon Knight make a cameo in Loki season 2? (Image via Marvel)

Another interesting fact is that Moon Knight directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead were hired for Loki season 2. While a second season of Moon Knight has yet to be confirmed, rumors within the industry tease Kang's involvement in the upcoming season. However, because this information was released before Jonathan Majors' arrest and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the environment may have changed since then.

While it is unclear whether Loki season 2 will offer further insight into this Easter egg as the series goes on, it does indicate a link between the two shows and possibly even the Disney+ series as a whole. Given Loki's importance in the current MCU phase, it's reasonable to think that this connection between this Tom Hiddleston-led series and other MCU streaming shows won't be the last.

The next episode of Loki season 2 will air on Disney+ on Thursday, October 12, at 9 pm ET. This amazing Easter egg suggests that the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole is taking a step towards becoming even more integrated and entertaining in the future.