The Real Reason We Never Saw Mobius' Backstory In Loki
The Disney+ original series "Loki" wrapped up its first season on July 14 and gave Marvel Cinematic Universe fans plenty of content to keep them talking until the next phase of the MCU begins. Viewers tuned in every week for the adventures of the Norse trickster god-turned-hero, as more secrets were brought to light and new characters were introduced. Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) in particular was the center of huge speculation among fans, and the appearance of He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in the show's final episode confirmed the MCU presence of legendary Marvel villain, Kang the Conqueror.
Although Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie's partnership was an important arc for both characters, the moniker of the original "power couple" in "Loki" could arguably belong not to the two variants, but to Loki and Mobius (Owen Wilson). Loki began as a prisoner of the Time Variance Authority, but things would have gone very differently for the god of mischief if Mobius hadn't intervened. Mobius was too clever for Loki's signature mind games in the beginning, but in time, the two came to trust each other and form an unlikely friendship.
One of the biggest truth bombs to drop in "Loki" was that the TVA's workers were not created by the Time-Keepers, as they'd been told, but were actually variants themselves, who had been kidnapped from the timeline and had their memories erased. Just before getting "pruned" by Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha Raw) in Episode 4, "The Nexus Event," Mobius confesses that if he could go anywhere, it would be back to his old life. "Maybe I had a jet ski," he says, which would explain his fascination with the water vehicle.
Regretfully, we never learn about Mobius before the TVA. Why was this fan favorite's backstory kept from audiences? "Loki" Season 1 showrunner Kate Herron revealed the true reason.
Mobius' backstory could still be revealed
Kate Herron, the director and executive producer of "Loki," announced that she will not be returning to helm the second season due to working on other projects. However, in a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Herron did explain why Mobius' origins were never revealed in "Loki" Season 1.
"So I think for us, we had spoken about, I think there were a few drafts of the script where you did see like a family or you did see a life, but I think we all kind of decided we don't know what it is yet," Herron said. "And I think that's exciting, right? Because it gives more road to travel with him."
Herron also stated that not seeing the former lives of variants working for the Time Variance Authority gave a much more powerful impact on the story: "But, I think that the main thing we felt was that I think it was just that kind of in the turning of amping up the tension, it was more effective," she continued. "I think would B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku), for example, her seeing her memories and seeing the impact that had upon her life. And then I think that kind of echoes then across everyone in the TVA, because, you see how much it moves her and what she does because of what she sees. So I think for us, it felt like at least in this part of the show that we didn't want to necessarily do flashbacks."
So, in short, although fans didn't get to see who Mobius was before the TVA got him, that doesn't mean they will never find out. Disney's announcement that "Loki" will return for Season 2 gave audiences something to look forward to, and perhaps promises that the backstories for Mobius, and others, may still be forthcoming.