You’ve got to hand it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom; they certainly take things very seriously, even if we’re talking about a fictional multiverse of gods, men, monsters and superheroes.
As you may be aware, Disney Plus series Loki debuted today, and it’s pretty much the only thing the internet wants to talk about. Which is fair enough, when it’s a dizzying blend of expanding the mythology, ladling on fan service, creating an air of mystery and providing a showcase for Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief all at once, something it looks set to pull off if the premiere is any indication.
That being said, one scene in particular has proven to be a bone of contention among MCU enthusiasts, after a throwaway gag revealed that many of the Time Variance Authority’s employees use Infinity Stones as paperweights, and there are so many kicking around from a vast number of realities that the drawers are literally full of them. Needless to say, this stuck in many a craw, as you can see from the reactions below.
https://twitter.com/EzraOrWhatever/status/1402656929739051012
https://twitter.com/sabsinths/status/1402656375570841603
https://twitter.com/ikisszjm/status/1402656372949491715
Infinity Stones as paperweights? Now wait a minute #Loki
— Noah (@NoahhbyNature) June 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/AnushreeGoswa18/status/1402655971613175813
#LOKI SPOILERS
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.the infinity stones, so basically infinity war and endgame happened for NOTHING 🧍♀️
— val 🫧 (@tweekfilms) June 9, 2021
You mean to tell me we lost Natasha, Gamora, Tony, Vision, Mar-Vel, and Phil over paperweights? #Loki
If Thanos was so cursed with knowledge, he woulda known there was a whole drawer fulla Infinity Stones. Did they deem his use of Pym Particles as something supposed to happen?
— Danger Katt (@DisoRientedKat) June 9, 2021
After watching the infinity stones kept in table without a gauntlet #Loki pic.twitter.com/sP2W5B9rJ5
— 🌝🌚 (@heheboiii23) June 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/HarisAdams23/status/1402655268836573185
https://twitter.com/franalert123/status/1402654996869619718
It’s like people trying to cancel Tony Stark for not paying the Avengers or folks slamming the Eternals for not lending an assist during the Infinity Saga all over again, and the in-canon explanation is probably as simple as the fact that the Stones are only significant within the framework of their own reality. Take them out and they’re nothing more than, if you’ll believe it, paperweights.
You do have to admire how staunchly MCU fans will dissect even the most minute details, though, and there’s going to be much more of that to come as Loki progresses over the next five weeks.