A Disney+ listing change gave a concerning update to the current release date for Tom Hiddleston's Loki Season 2.
Standing as Marvel Studios' most successful series yet, Loki Season 2 isn't too far away from coming to Disney+, with its release date currently set for Summer 2023 according to San Diego Comic-Con 2022's Phase 5 slate.
The latest update on the release came with a report that claimed its premiere will come "much later" in the summer, although showed no indication of a push beyond that into the fall.
Loki Season 2 Delayed?
Disney+ updated the Loki Season 2 release date from "Summer 2023" to "Coming Soon" on the site listing its upcoming original series.
The update casts doubt on the sophomore season's planned release date, which was first announced during the Phase 5 slate reveal at Comic-Con 2022.
The update also shifted the release listings of all Marvel Studios' upcoming Disney+ series to "Coming Soon." This seems to throw the current release dates up in the air for Secret Invasion, What If...? Season 2, Echo, X-Men '97, Ironheart, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Daredevil: Born Again, and Spider-Man: Freshman Year.
As the only one of the MCU's upcoming Disney+ series to have publicly released a trailer, Secret Invasion is expected to be the next streaming premiere from the blockbuster superhero franchise.
While it's unclear whether the listed order of the projects on the page is indicative of their release chronology, Disney+ has the next three MCU releases ordered as Secret Invasion, What If...? Season 2, and Loki Season 2.
What If...? Season 2's delay from "Early 2023" comes just days after Marvel Studios announced the first plot details for one of its nine episodes and confirmed the introduction of a historic new Native American superhero, Kahhori.
This surprising marketing ramp-up for What If...?'s next season may signify it's not too far away from premiering, even as its release date currently remains up in the air, not unlike most of the other upcoming MCU Disney+ shows.
Why Loki Season 2 Could Get Delayed
Having begun production last June and concluded in October, Loki Season 2 has been wrapped for some time. The sophomore season making its Summer 2023 release date has generally been seen as one of the few safe bets in the MCU slate as Marvel Studios hands out delays like they're going out of fashion.
A recent spot highlighting Disney+ and Hulu's 2023 releases included footage from both Secret Invasion and Loki Season 2. So, even if neither will be making their spring and summer release dates, respectively, both still ought to be coming by the end of the year, although they may end up being 2023's only MCU series.
But just because Disney+ is now listing Loki Season 2 as "Coming Soon" instead of "Summer 2023," that doesn't exactly confirm it won't premiere before the sunny season closes out in late September. This may just be Marvel Studios allowing itself more wriggle room to shift into fall if that becomes necessary.
With regard to what exactly has spurred this apparent delay, the most likely cause stems from allowing extra time for VFX work. Many of Marvel Studios' recent releases have been flamed by fans for shoddy CGI, seemingly due to the MCU's increased output that has apparently made the studio "horrible" to work for.
Loki Season 2 has yet to confirm an official release date, but Season 1 is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.
