Loki Fans Think They've Discovered A Huge Marvel Cameo In Episode 1

The Marvel Cinematic Universe loves to include fun cameos and appearances from characters who might become a bit more important later down the line, and now that the MCU is getting a huge expansion through shows like "WandaVision," "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier," and "Loki," there's even more scope to reference other characters, locations, and comics.

Because "Loki" exists somewhat outside the spacio-temporal limitations of other MCU projects, it lends itself to the possibility of even bigger cameos and references from previous films. In the first episode alone we've already seen footage from the "Thor" trilogy and multiple "Avengers" films. Even more significantly, many think they caught a massive Marvel cameo in the background of a new scene. If they're right, which it sure looks like they might be, the ramifications will be significant for "Loki" and the MCU as a whole.

Who else saw Peggy Carter at the TVA?

"Loki" introduces audiences to the concept of variants, people guilty of creating a new unauthorized branch from the Sacred Timeline, and whose very existence jeopardizes the fate of the universe. Our Loki is one of these variants, which is why he was apprehended by the TVA in the first place. Later in Episode 1, the God of Mischief wanders the corridors of the agency looking for a way to escape, while in the background one of the Hunters can be seen escorting a variant through one of the time doors. Fans on Twitter think the fugitive is none other than Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell).

At first glance, it's easy to see why. The unknown woman looks to have a similar 1940s hairstyle, and she's of a similar height and build to Agent Carter. Plus, we already know that Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wound up going back in time to be with her at the end of "Avengers: Endgame." Sure sounds like the kind of thing the TVA might be concerned with — especially if Rogers created an unauthorized branch in his efforts to return to his lost love.

As mentioned in the "Loki" Episode 1, the Avengers' time-traveling actions were sanctioned by the Time Keepers, so Steve's presence in the past should've been fine. However, Peggy would've been classified as a variant, because we know her life would've been different without the Star-Spangled Man. Interestingly, the woman in the "Loki" scene wasn't restrained by the Hunter who was walking with her, as her arms are free when she walks through the time door. Loki, on the other hand, was instantly handcuffed.

The only problem with the MCU drawing from the wealth of characters and history of the comics is that it's very easy to read into things that aren't there. We only have to look at the Mephisto incident from "WandaVision" to understand the risk of seeing patterns that don't exist.

Unfortunately, the same applies here. Just because a woman happened to look a lot like Peggy Carter in the background doesn't actually mean it's Hayley Atwell herself. The "Captain America" star isn't listed in the credits of the show, and although there's some evidence to suggest that it could be her, it's nothing that can't be explained away with one word: coincidence. Okay, yes, Marvel is notorious for spinning minor moments in earlier films into something bigger further down the line — hello, Peter Parker in "Iron Man 2" — but for now, it's probably best to take this theory with a handful of salt.

The Peggy Carter-looking woman doesn't appear in the rest of the episode at all, and it's not clear why Marvel would bring Hayley Atwell onboard for an appearance in the series. The character's ending with Steve Rogers in the finale of "Avengers: Endgame" was a perfect way to end both of their stories, and it would feel a bit cheap to yank that away from them.

The only way we'll allow it is if Marvel greenlights Season 3 of "Agent Carter," deal?