WARNING: THIS POST HAS SPOILERS FOR “LOKI”
After watching Avengers: Infinity War, many Marvel fans were sad to see Loki (Tom Hiddleston), everyone’s favorite villain, killed by Thanos (Josh Brolin). However, to our surprise (and delight), Loki reappears in Avengers: Endgame, during one of the movie’s time travels, and manages to scape, creating, then, a different timeline. That’s the premise of Loki, the new Disney Plus series, which further expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe (“MCU”).
We find Loki being arrested by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), being charged with interfering with the “Sacred Timeline”. There, he meets Agent Mobius (the always hilarious Owen Wilson), who shows Loki what actually happened in the official timeline. Mobius later explains that the TVA has been chasing Loki “Variants” for quite some time.
Over the course of six episodes, we witness Loki’s character development right before our eyes. Yes, he’s still “God of Mischief,” but he grows and evolves while facing the possibility that he’ll never return to his timeline and, even if he does, he will not survive. He goes on to meet other versions of himself, from different timelines, from “Kid Loki” to “Alligator Loki”. He also falls in love with Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), the Loki Variant who is trying to destroy the TVA.
One very important revelation is that Loki is bisexual, which makes him the first major character from the MCU to be openly part of the LGBTQ+ community.
WandaVision, released earlier this year, set the bar really high for what Marvel shows should look like and Loki does not disappoint. At times, it feels like a movie, given its scale and great special effects. The excellent score, by Natalie Holt, also gives the audience the feeling of grandness and urgency that are so common in action movies. In fact, the show’s theme song might be one of my favorites from the MCU.
Director Kate Herron did a wonderful job with the show and was able to balance the action, a hallmark of Marvel movies, with many expository scenes that were necessary and fun to watch. The writing is also very clever, with witty dialogues and interesting new characters, all the while connecting the show to the future of the MCU.
Just like in WandaVision, the acting is what makes this show truly special. Tom Hiddleston gives a magnificent performance, showing a wide range of emotions and making us feel sorry for Loki. Luckily for us, there will be a second season where, hopefully, Loki will have better luck. There are also rumors he will show up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), since Loki’s season finale opened up countless different timelines, which means endless possibilities for the future of the MCU. Talk about “glorious purpose!”
