Marvel Was 'Worried' About Bringing [SPOILER] To The MCU In Loki Season 2

Contains spoilers for "Loki" Season 2, Episode 2 — "Breaking Brad"

Some Loki variants might concern themselves with their glorious purpose, but Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) doesn't seem to care for such things. After all, how much glory is there left for a trickster god who has already climbed the highest mountain by killing He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) and allowing every timeline branch to break loose?

Perhaps because of this, among the references you missed in "Loki" Season 2 is that the premiere ends with Sylvie becoming enamored with a McDonald's in Broxton, Oklahoma, circa 1982. Episode 2 reveals that her declaration of intent to try everything includes working as a cashier at said McDonald's. She seems to approach her mundane new life with every sign of enjoyment ... that is, until Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson), and Hunter X-5 (Rafael Casal) turn up.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is no stranger to product placement, from Baskin-Robbins' appearances in Ant-Man's (Paul Rudd) story — including a very cynical one in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" that only adults notice – to various Audi cars constantly turning up in MCU films.  Despite this, the makers of "Loki" were hesitant to include McDonald's in the Season 2 story. "I was worried that McDonald's would think we wanted to do something ironic or make fun of them," executive producer Kevin Wright told Fast Company. "But we were selling an earnest story, a love letter to nostalgia through a character's eyes who will see all of the novelty and joy of it."

Sylvie has gone through more than perhaps any other character on "Loki," and Season 2, Episode 2 presents her new gig at McDonald's as something of a safe haven.

"When we stayed in the view of character, this woman who went on the run as a child, had been running through time, a fugitive of time, living in apocalypses, never being able to relax or slow down, the novelty of walking into a 1980s McDonald's looked appealing," Kevin Wright said, describing how the fast food giant manages to tug at Sylvie's — and perhaps the audience's — heartstrings. "You play a Little League game and go to McDonald's. You go to a kid's birthday party at McDonald's. Someone like Sylvie would never have experienced that, and would be really taken by that."

Fortunately for "Loki," McDonald's already had an existing partnership with the MCU and was delighted with the nostalgia aspect the show was going for. It's up to the viewer to decide whether the episode goes a bit too hard on Mickey D's worship with stuff like Mobius' impromptu ode to the franchise's food, but from a narrative standpoint, it makes sense that the long-tormented Sylvie might find the environment appealing.