Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron has opened up about the headaches caused by an ever-growing shared universe, and how the unmitigated madness of the Doctor Strange sequel will impact the upcoming second series of Loki. Speaking with The Playlist, Waldron, who is the scribe behind both Doctor Strange’s return and Loki’s, reveals that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will, in part, set up the events of Loki Season 2.

"The headaches I have are probably intertwined. I mean, it's all intertwined and it's all stands alone. Like a great comic universe, I think that one thing certainly informs the other. You're going to have a better time watching the next chapter of an MCU story if you've seen the stuff before it. But also, hopefully, even if you've never if you've walked in off the street, you'll still have a blast. It should be good enough that it stands on its own."

Crafting something that can be appreciated equally by both Marvel Cinematic Universe aficionados and newcomers can be no easy task, but it sounds like Waldron is certainly up for the challenge. While trying to maintain enough entertainment for those less experienced with the MCU, Waldron admits that, with the way the franchise is structured, everything is now “intertwined” and that the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will indeed set up some of what Loki Season 2 will be about.

Of course, like a snake eating its own tail, the first season of Loki helped set up Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The final moments saw the God of Mischief’s (Tom Hiddleston) variant, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), kill He Who Remains and thus bring an end to the TVA and the Sacred Timeline, unleashing the madness of the multiverse on the MCU. While unconfirmed, there has been speculation that Loki and Sylvie will appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with whatever they are undoubtedly carrying over into Loki Season 2.

Doctor Strange Will Confront the Madness of the Multiverse in the Upcoming Sequel

Directed by Sam Raimi and written by Michael Waldron, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will pick up with the Master of the Mystic Arts (Benedict Cumberbatch) a few months after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. With the multiverse now unleashed, Dr. Stephen Strange travels into the multiverse to face a mysterious new adversary with the help of both old and new mystical allies.

Those allies will consist of Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda AKA The Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer. The sequel will also introduce Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, a teenager with the ability to punch through and travel into different dimensions.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to be released on May 6, as part of Phase Four of the MCU. Loki Season 2, meanwhile, will land on Disney+ some time down the line, with Moon Knight directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead directing the majority of episodes.