Why Ravonna Renslayer could be key to Loki season 2
We haven't seen the last of the TVA's top judge.
Marvel fans have a lot of questions after that stunning Loki ending, with one of the biggest being the fate of Gugu Mbatha-Raw's TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer.
Loki episode six revealed that the character is indeed a variant, just like the rest of the staff at the surreal organisation, having once lived a life as a high school headteacher down on Earth.
However, unlike Agent Mobius and Hunter B-15, she has no desire to return to the person she was before, staying loyal to the TVA's mission and deciding to seek out the man in charge: Kang The Conquerer.
The Loki writers are yet to reveal exactly what information Miss Minutes passed on to Renslayer in the season finale, but it's quite likely that it will be instrumental in her quest – perhaps pointing her towards a certain location or moment in time.
It might not be an easy journey, but there's good reason to be confident that Renslayer and Kang will eventually join forces, as the two villains have a storied history in the pages of Marvel Comics.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Rather different to her origin in Loki, Renslayer in the source materual is an alien princess from the 40th Century who Kang becomes infatuated with after taking over her kingdom.
She is initially resistant to his advances but ultimately ends up falling for him, sacrificing her life when someone attempts to assassinate the time-travelling schemer.
She is later resurrected by the Grandmaster (played by Jeff Goldblum in the MCU) and takes on the alias of Terminatrix, a deadly warrior closer to the Renslayer we have been introduced to in Loki season one.
While there are no shortage of differences between Renslayer's page and screen incarnations, it does seem likely that she will operate as a right-hand woman and perhaps even love interest for Kang in future MCU productions.
It's not yet confirmed whether Mbatha-Raw or Majors will return for Loki season two, with the latter currently filming a lead role in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – making it possible Renslayer might follow him there instead.
However, some fans believe that Renslayer will remain a key character in Tom Hiddleston's epic series, with one theory being that her actions may have caused the radical timeline alteration revealed in the final scene.
That bombshell moment saw a frightened Loki rush to Mobius and Hunter B-15 for help, discovering they have no idea who he is, and that the Time-Keepers monument at the heart of the TVA has been replaced with a giant statue of Kang.
It's possible that the portal Renslayer stepped through in episode six took her directly to one of Kang's dangerous variants from the newly created multiverse and that she helped instate him as the TVA's new overlord.
If not, this new prime Kang variant can expect a visit from Renslayer soon, as she has shown herself determined to get acquainted with the only person in the universe who truly has free will.
Find out everything you need to know about the Loki cast including Sylvie and how to watch the Marvel movies in order with our comprehensive coverage.
Loki is available to stream on Disney Plus. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now. Check out more of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
