Loki Season 2 is on the way and its most recent trailer has prompted fans to draw parallels between the show's time-slipping concept and the glitching effect observed in the Spider-Verse franchise.
The trailer for the second season of Loki sees Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief and Owen Wilson's Mobius visit the TVA's Repairs and Advancements division, where Ke Huy Quan's new MCU character OB identifies that Loki has fallen victim to a phenomenon known as time-slipping after he glitches and disappears.
The infamous trickster's time-hopping escapades are teased throughout the trailer as he jumps between the past and the present. The physical symptoms of time-slipping are similar to those witnessed during the glitches in the Spider-Verse movies. However, it's unclear whether the two share a connection with one another.
Reddit users were quick to consider "whether Loki time-slipping is the same as Spider-Verse glitching," given their similarities. Some believed that the resemblance between the two occurrences is not likely to be a coincidence, with one member arguing that "different methods of multiversal travel = different side-effects."
People on Twitter, which recently rebranded to X, added to the discussion as they shared posts containing video clips and screengrabs of the Loki trailer and Spider-Verse movies side-by-side, with some wondering whether time-slipping and glitching are the "same" but viewed in different formats (live-action and animation).
time slipping looks vaguely familiar #LokiSeason2 pic.twitter.com/5EsthuaGW6
— History of the MCU (@historyofthemcu) July 31, 2023
loki's time slipping surely relates to spider-verse's glitching. time slipping takes them to a different place and glitching shows versions of them from different times #Loki pic.twitter.com/LxDEqWkOeZ
— liz (@lizbedumb) July 31, 2023
Since we have official confirmation that the sacred timeline from the MCU is canon to Spider-Verse, was Loki glitching?
— DanGanGalaxy (@DanGanGalaxy) July 31, 2023
Does that mean time slipping is what the TVA calls “glitching”? Is this what glitching looks like for a live action character?? pic.twitter.com/Qh72l08206
The time-slipping reminds me a little of what happened in the #SpiderVerse ?? except with past and present as well as universes... ? pic.twitter.com/0pENxGoRUB
— EmilyJaneDancer (@EmilyJaneDancer) July 31, 2023
#LokiSeason2 I have a therory time slipping and glitch can be the same thing and we could see someone played in the Spider-Man across the spider verse in the Loki season 2 #Loki
— Tuna Şahin (@Tunaahi68134236) August 1, 2023
Not to mention how gross/pretty the Time-Slipping looks. It's like they took the body horror aspects of Spider-verse glitching and amped it up pic.twitter.com/yjCmDnDMfc
— ElTigre - Smallville Town Crier (@eltigre13131) August 1, 2023
but does this tie the two together? if kang shows up in the next spiderverse movie would be fucking crazy
— weathers40 (@weathers40) July 31, 2023
Others argued that Loki's time-slipping differs from Spider-Verse's glitching, even though the two concepts are strikingly similar. Those people pointed out that Loki doesn't just glitch on the spot - he actually vanishes and turns up in a different time and space, so there is a reason the two concepts don't share the same terminology.
Wrong. Across The Spider-Verse established glitching. Loki S2 is establishing "Time Slip". Loki is slipping through various points in time. Miles is glitching when he's not in his universe, but he stays there.
— Jamie ???? (@FairestJamie) August 1, 2023
its not the same
— iPaul BARBIE EDITION IM A BARBIE GIRL (@ItzPaulHD_v1) July 31, 2023
Loki is time slipping into past and present
its different and unrelated to multiverse glitching
Time-Slipping is not the same as Glitching idk how people are so confused
— The GeekyCast? (@thegeekycast) August 1, 2023
According to its synopsis, Loki Season 2 will bring "new excitement as it thrusts the infamous God of Mischief into a new set of adventures with the TVA" following the events of the first season. The time-slipping phenomenon looks set to play a large part in the six-episode run, which will kick off on Disney+ on October 6.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
