While Marvel fans are ramping up the hype for the team's next major theatrical release in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Disney+ side of the MCU is off to a strong start early in 2021. This is particularly the case after the run for Tom Hiddleston's Loki, which opened the franchise up to new levels of insanity.
The God of Mischief had the opportunity to reinvent himself alongside the newly introduced Time Variance Authority in a show that gave more depth to the idea of time travel while bringing key new players into the mix. Loki found himself dealing with multiple powerful Variants of himself before coming face to face with He Who Remains, who set the stage for Kang the Conqueror's reign of terror.
When all was said and done, Loki found itself as the first MCU Disney+ series to officially continue into a second season with a short message at the end of Episode 6. However, the latest news surrounding this progression reveals that it may be a while until that new batch of episodes comes to life.
A LONG WAIT FOR LOKI SEASON 2
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spoke with Collider about the status of Loki Season 2 and when it may go into development.
Feige confirmed that progress "is underway" for Tom Hiddleston's series, including that the search for Season 2's director "will begin shortly" with Kate Herron moving on from her duties:
“It is underway. We’re developing it as we speak. The hope is that much of the same team will return. Kate is going on to bigger and better things, so the director search will begin shortly.”
Although the process is set to begin soon, Feige did admit that he's "not sure exactly where it falls between next year and the year after" in terms of when filming will be underway. While it could start as early as next year, there's the possibility that cameras may not start rolling until 2023, which could push Season 2's release until 2024.
NO GOD OF MISCHIEF FOR A WHILE
Loki took some massive steps towards advancing the MCU narrative in its first season, as the anti-hero changed his stripes while dealing with the first cracks in the proverbial multiversal walls. However, with so much material coming into the slate over the next few years, it doesn't come as too much of a shock to hear that Season 2 may take more time than expected.
Tom Hiddleston's titular character was recently confirmed for a big-screen comeback in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, although the extent of his role is a mystery with so much other craziness coming. There are also no signs if the Time Variance Authority will play a role in this movie, especially with so much major plot development on the way.
Looking at just the Disney+ side of the MCU, there are at least nine new properties coming into play for their first seasons along with rumored spin-offs like Echo and a second season for What If...?. Even considering how important of a player Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief is, the MCU is expanding at a faster rate than ever before.
It will also be interesting to see how this show's second season ties in with Kang-related projects like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is due for release in February 2023. After Loki set the stage for Kang's multiversal rule, there are plenty of doors for Season 2 to look into with Loki and his cohorts likely in a state of pure panic.
All six episodes of Loki Season 1 are available to stream on Disney+.
