The highly anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe show Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston is all set to premier. The six-part series will tell the story of the eponymous God of Mischief after he escapes with the Tesseract during Avengers: Endgame. Loki’s escape creates an alternate timeline, and hence he is arrested by the Time Variance Authority, an agency that ensures the safety of time.
Before the big premier the cast and makers of the show reunited for a virtual press conference. It was attended by Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Marvel chief Kevin Feigi, director Kate Herron and creator Michael Waldron, who answered questions from the media.
Hiddleston, who has played the character over a decade and in six movies was asked about his first reaction when the show was pitched to him. He said, “It was a combination of delight and surprise, I think it’s probably the accurate way of describing it. I was so excited by the idea. And also, I had to scratch my head, because that scene in Avengers: Infinity War (where Thanos kills Loki) had felt so final and conclusive. I knew that Avengers: Endgame was coming around the corner. In a scene in that film, Loki picks up the Tesseract and disappears in a puff of smoke. But where does he go? When does he go? How does he get there?
“Kevin (Feige), Louis D’Esposito and Victoria Alonso all reassured me that that would be the starting point of the series. There were so many places we could go. So many possibilities to think about. And then everybody jumped on (the project), had so many brilliant ideas and created this new show, which I think is really exciting. And I’m happy to be doing it.”
Marvel chief and executive producer of the show, Kevin Feigi revealed that the Marvel Studios had not planned the show when Loki was killed in Avengers: Infinity War. “I think we did not know it when we shot Infinity War. But I think we did know it when we shot Endgame. That is my recollection of it. But what that meant and where that specifically would go, we didn’t know. One of my favorite things coming out of Endgame was people saying that we forget to tie up the loose end of Loki. Loki just disappears and we forgot to mention what happens to him at the end of that movie. And, at that point, we did know that there was Disney+ coming and the show coming. It became very exciting to make people wait until we figured out what the show would be. And now it will finally be unveiled to the world,” he said.
Many actors will be making their entry into the MCU with the show. Owen Wilson, who has appeared in several films like Midnight in Paris, Wedding Crashers and Marley and Me plays TVA agent Mobius M Mobius, who forms an alliance with Loki. British actress Gugu Mbatha Raw, known for The Morning Show, Beyond the Lights and Black Mirror plays TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer. On the other hand, Lovecraft Country fame Wunmi Mosaku steps in as Hunter B-15.
Taking about his initiation into the MCU, Wilson said, “It’s exciting to be a part of it, and seeing the trailer start to come out and how excited people get. I kind of talked about how I’ve worked on a lot of things, but the sort of secrecy surrounding this, I didn’t quite understand. The fan base is so revved up and passionate. And Marvel’s just so committed trying to surprise people. So, then you kind of get into it.”
Raw’s character Ravonna Renslayer first appeared in the Marvel Comics in 1965. When asked if she had to do extensive research for the show, she said, “Kate (Herron, director) explained to me that this was more of an origin story for Ravonna Renslayer, sort of predating some of the stuff in the comics. So, all that stuff is there. But there was also the opportunity to feel like we were starting with something fresh with the TVA that hadn’t been seen before by fans on screen. I feel like there’s plenty of potential for her in the future as well.”
Wunmi Mosaku revealed that she was in the same drama school as Hiddleston and Raw and the MCU show was a reunion for the trio. She also said that Hunter B-15 being a completely new character helped her transition to the MCU. “There was no pressure because no one’s got any ideas of what they want her to be. I can bring you who she is, and you have to accept her as she is. And I feel like that because there is the pressure of joining the MCU. So starting with a clean slate and doing whatever I want to do with the character felt free. It’s great, it is fun.”
During the panel, Hiddleston was also asked about Loki’s extensive fan-base, as the character is one of the most beloved in the MCU. “There’s no question that the reason I am allowed to continue to play him is because he clearly means so much to so many people and for so many different reasons. And that is incredibly gratifying for me. I see that as a big honor. I think over time, I’ve been made aware of the different things that he represents for people. Some people enjoy his playfulness and his spontaneity and that inherent sense of mischief that he has. Some people enjoy his quality as an antagonist. Some people probably can’t stand him. I know there are some people who are drawn to his vulnerability underneath all those layers of charm and charisma. There is some very relatable human thing about being vulnerable. And I owe that to the writers actually. I owe that to everybody who’s ever written this character. I just feel it’s a huge honour,” he said.
Loki also stars Sophia Di Martino, Sasha Lane and Eugene Cordero in pivotal roles. It will stream from June 9 on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.
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