One of the MCU’s most beloved characters has always been Loki, as played by Tom Hiddleston. Now Thor’s good for nuthin’ brother is among the first Marvel characters to get his own series on Disney+. In fact, Loki was one of the very first announced for the streamer. The Asgardian God of Mischief will be getting his own spotlight story at long last. The series will premiere on Disney+ in June 2021.
What Is Loki About?
After nearly two years of speculating, we finally have a better idea of what to expect from the upcoming Disney+ series Loki. The series takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Per the series logline, the titular God of Mischief, “after absconding with the Tesseract, is a fish-out-of-water when he lands in a world of trouble with the bureaucratic TVA (Time Variance Authority).” The official trailer reveals just how much trouble Loki is in.
The trailer expands on the first look unveiled on Disney’s Investor Day presentation in December 2020. Feige also confirmed that the series would be a crime drama, something the MCU has never done quite this way. Which is to say we’re really excited about this series.
The most important thing to remember about the upcoming series is the version of titular character we’ll be watching. Way back at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, when Kevin Feige was first laying out the initial plans for Phase Four, Tom Hiddleston appeared briefly to discuss the Loki series. He confirmed that he will star as the version of Loki that escapes with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame. This means he’s pretty much still a megalomaniacal bad guy, and hasn’t had any of the character development from the subsequent Thor films.
The series will allegedly have direct connections to WandaVision and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. This makes sense, as the Loki from Endgame is technically an alternate timeline version of the Loki Laufeyson we all know.
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At Comic-Con, Hiddleston said, “You guys saw Avengers, right? He’s still that guy. And just about the last thing that happened to him was that he got Hulk-smashed, so there’s a lot of psychological evolution that hasn’t happened yet, but Kevin Feige has generously showed me what his plans are—I can’t tell you any of them—but it is one of the most exciting creative opportunities I think I’ve ever come across.”
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Hiddleston told Empire in an April interview that the shifting logo that switches between different fonts is emblematic of Loki in the series. “I think that shapeshifting logo might give you an idea that Loki, the show, is about identity, and about integrating the disparate fragments of the many selves that he can be, and perhaps the many selves that we are. I thought it was very exciting because I’ve always found Loki a very complex construct. Who is this character who can wear so many masks, and changes shape, and seems to change his external feeling on a sixpence?”
On May 16, Marvel released a clip from early on in the series. We see Loki sparring gently with Mobius M. Mobius, the Time Variance Authority agent assigned to his watch:
From the get-go, we can see that Loki is ill at ease being out of control; Mobius, uniquely, doesn’t seem ruffled by Loki. Perhaps this turning of the tables will make for an interesting rapport.
What’s with the Cartoon Clock?
In May, Disney+ tweeted a new poster featuring Loki‘s cast of characters. The image’s most curious inclusion: the cartoon clock known as Miss Minutes.
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We know that Miss Minutes is the mascot of the Time Variance Authority; and it seems she’ll just show up in the department’s orientation material, a la Mr. DNA in Jurassic Park. A new clip from the series gives us a closer look at her role in the series:
Who Is Starring?
Joining Tom Hiddleston in the upcoming series are Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Wilson is playing Mobius M. Mobius, the TVA employee tasked with keeping Loki in check.
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Gugu Mbatha-Raw is playing Judge Renslayer, who works for the TVA. While Marvel hasn’t revealed her full name, her surname certainly brings to mind Ravonna. (Especially relevant given Kang the Conquerer is about to make his MCU debut in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.) Meanwhile Mosaku is playing a TVA agent Hunter B-15, while Di Martino and Grant’s characters remain under wraps.
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While we’re still holding out hope for an appearance, it’s looking increasingly unlikely we’ll see Chris Hemsworth cameo as Thor.
Who Is Behind-The-Scenes?
Michael Waldron, who is one of the producers of Rick & Morty, is showrunner and head writer. Katie Herron is directing the series.
When Will Loki Debut on Disney+?
Loki will premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, June 9. (Yep, unlike its Disney+ predecessors, Loki is not airing on Fridays, though it was initially scheduled to do so.) Tom Hiddleston announced the date in change in a very charming video in which he also lamented the lack of prime placement in superhero montages.
Is Loki an Ongoing Series?
Over the last year, Marvel’s continued to unveil its growing slate of MCU TV shows for Disney+. However one major question remains: are the shows ongoing or limited series? While Kevin Feige has remained mum regarding WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, rumors are already circulating about a Loki season two. We doubt we’ll have a formal answer before June—at earliest—but we’re already on the lookout for confirmation.
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Originally posted on January 31, 2020, with updates on February 11 and March 11 2020, February 24, March 18, April 5, April 12, May 5, and May 18, 2021.
