WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Loki Episode 1, "Glorious Purpose," streaming now on Disney+.

With Disney+'s Loki holding many theories, Easter Eggs and callbacks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans shouldn't be surprised they go outside of the Thor and Avengers movies Tom Hiddleston's sinister villain appeared in. After all, the MCU loves connective tissue that pays homage to just about any movie within its universe. In fact, the series premiere of the God of Mischief's solo adventures honors the film that started it all: Iron Man.

As the Asgardian trickster escapes New York from his alternate reality, he ends up falling into the Mongolian desert. He lands on his backside and is broken, not just physically but mentally. What he thought was a moment of triumph turns out to be another moment of defeat, because not only do the Mongolians not revere or fear him but he's immediately taken away by the Time Variance Authority.

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It's frustrating for Loki to see them seize the Tesseract, summing up an exasperated, frustrating outing. But according to director Kate Herron, this moment in the desert is more than a learning experience; it's also a tribute to Jon Favreau's movie that kickstarted the entire MCU.

Herron confirmed on Twitter that this scene pays homage to when Tony Stark crashed in the Afghanistan desert in Iron Man. In that scene in the 2008 film, Stark built the Iron Mark Mark 1 armor to escape the Ten Rings. He busted out of the cave he was held prisoner in, using his suit's built-in weapons, and set fire to the terrorists outside. Stark also ignited their arsenal, destroying the camp, before flying off using the suit's flying capability. But, as he flew off into the sky, rather than escaping in victory, Stark crash-landed in the sand miles away.

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Stark's crash was a rare moment of self-defeat, but in his case, it marked the start of his freedom. Loki's fall, on the other hand, ends his time as a free man, as he's now forced to work alongside Mobius and the rest of the TVA. Ironically, just as when Stark was in the dust with his broken weapon, the desert could mark the start of Loki's redemption. This version of the God of Mischief won't experience the things that led his predecessor to change his ways, but Mobius could eventually get him to come to terms with his regrets, sins and failures, hoping to turn his new partner into a hero.

Loki stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Lexus Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15 and Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane and Eugene Cordero in undisclosed roles. The first episode is available on Disney+ with new episodes on Wednesdays.

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