Loki might have taken up the mantle of the ‘God of Stories’ as the custodian of the multiverse, but this does not mean he has abandoned his old title of the God of Mischief. While Loki has had a few centuries to grow, he is a god after all. This means he is not going to forget insults and slights that easily.
While trying to get help from Strange during the events of 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, Loki was put in a cosmic time-out when Stephen Strange opened a portal under Loki. Strange then proceeded to keep the god of mischief falling for a while, until Thor’s business was done on Earth (which was to locate Odin). Before leaving, Strange had to let the god of mischief go, who let Thor and the sorcerer know his annoyance, on having to fall for thirty minutes. While a small scene with very little consequence, it might have had massive ramifications in Strange’s life once Loki became the God of Stories.
Loki might be the reason Strange is single in every universe
In 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we find out that Doctor Strange’s old flame Christine Palmer is getting married to to another man. Strange seemingly gets a second shot in another universe when America Chavez punches herself and Stragne into another reality, only to learn that he and Christine were unable to work out in this universe either. While billed as a tragic moment where Strange confesses his love for Christine, it might be a consequence of the fact that Doctor Strange had cheesed off the wrong god.
Given that Loki has control over the multiverse now, growing the timelines together rather than pruning them, the former god of mischief may be responsible for Doctor Strange’s tragic predicament, making sure that the character ends up alone in every universe.
However, there is a light of hope for Doctor Strange
At the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Clea shows up requesting Strange’s help to rescue her universe from an incision caused by him. Strange immediately rushes to her aid, and they both dive into the universe that they need to rescue. Clea is famously Strange’s successor in the comics, taking up the title of Sorcerer Supreme after he died in the 2021 Death of Doctor Strange comic book event.
However, Clea is also Strange’s love interest and wife, being the niece of Dormamu. The character takes up Stephen’s last name, officially headlining her comic book series, Strange, after the latter’s death. Clea and Strange share a very intimate relationship, one that goes beyond romance. Clea is also, on occasion, ruler of the Dark Dimension, so can help Strange stave off his illness, manifested by the Darkhold, assistance that can develop into a full-scaled romance in the MCU.
