MARVEL MARATHON DEEP DIVE
LOKI
SEASON 1
Loki premiered on Disney+ on 9 June 2021 and ran six weekly episodes. It follows a Loki who escaped with the Tesseract in 2012 and is taken in by the Time Variance Authority.
A VILLAIN WITH HIS OWN SERIES
HOW LOKI WAS MADE
Disney chief executive Bob Iger confirmed in November 2018 that a Loki series was in development for Disney+. Michael Waldron was hired as head writer in February 2019, and Kate Herron was announced as director at D23 after Kevin Feige offered her the job in August 2019. Filming began on 10 February 2020 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, halted on 14 March 2020 because of COVID-19, resumed in September 2020 and wrapped on 5 December 2020.
THE TIME VARIANCE AUTHORITY
WHAT THE SERIES IS ABOUT
The Time Variance Authority is an organisation that monitors the timelines of the multiverse, and Waldron pitched it as a bureaucratic counterpart to time travel. In June 2021 he explained why he steered away from familiar territory:
“I wanted to do something new because we’ve seen those stories.”
Michael Waldron, 12 June 2021
Herron said that she “really wanted to just dig into his identity and find out what makes Loki tick,” and called the TVA “a really exciting new corner of the MCU.”
A NEW PARTNER AND SEVERAL VARIANTS
WHO IS IN THE CAST
The cast includes Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer, Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15, Eugene Cordero as Casey, Tara Strong as Miss Minutes, Richard E. Grant as Classic Loki and Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains. Natalie Holt composed the score, using theremin, the Budapest Film Orchestra and synthesizers.
A BIG PREMIERE AND A BIGGER FINALE
HOW THE SERIES WAS RECEIVED
The six episodes ran from “Glorious Purpose” on 9 June 2021 to “For All Time. Always.” on 14 July 2021. Disney chief executive Bob Chapek called the premiere the most-watched series premiere on Disney+ in its opening week, Nielsen counted 731 million minutes for it in the week of 7 to 13 June, and Samba TV reported 1.9 million US households for the finale. Rotten Tomatoes lists a 92% critics’ score from 339 reviews and a 90% audience score, and its consensus calls the series “a delightful diversion from the MCU as we know it.” Metacritic gives it 74 from 32 critics.
Andrew Webster of The Verge said Loki made him “forget about the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” while Ben Travers of IndieWire gave the first two episodes a C and called the explanations “exhausting.”
THE REWATCH
A SECOND SEASON AND SIX EMMY NOMINATIONS
A second season was revealed in the finale’s post-credits scene on 14 July 2021, and the series received six Creative Arts Emmy nominations in 2022, including for Holt’s score and main title theme.
In the Marvel Marathon it sits in the MCU release order guide between The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow. It sits between The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye in the MCU series order and Marvel TV shows in order guides. In the MCU timeline guide it comes between Avengers: Endgame and WandaVision.
QUICK ANSWERS
LOKI SEASON 1 WATCH QUESTIONS
Do I need to watch other MCU films first?
It helps to have seen Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Endgame, because the series follows a Loki who escaped with the Tesseract during the events of Endgame. Thor: Ragnarok gives useful background too.
How many episodes are in Season 1?
Six, released weekly from 9 June to 14 July 2021.
Is there a second season?
Yes. It was revealed in the Season 1 finale’s post-credits scene on 14 July 2021.
Which Marvel Marathon guides include Loki Season 1?
It appears in the MCU release order, MCU series order, Marvel TV shows in order and MCU timeline guides. In the timeline it sits between Avengers: Endgame and WandaVision.
EDITORIAL NOTES
SOURCES AND UPDATES
Development, production, themes, viewing figures, reception and awards details are checked against a series reference, an interview with the head writer and director, and aggregator scores, cited individually below.