It feels like forever since Marvel Studios announced their Disney+ lineup and various production delays and the COVID-19 pandemic have meant their premiere dates are being pushed further and further back. This has left the network with considerable gaps in its release schedule after their barnstorming start with The Mandalorian. However, things should begin picking up this summer, with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier scheduled for August, followed by WandaVision in December and Loki in ‘early 2021.’
Now it seems that Marvel Studios are eager to maintain this sense of momentum, as the final season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D begins this Wednesday on ABC and Variety interviewed star Clark Gregg about his experiences over the years. During the chat, he touched on the differences between the early years of Marvel TV and what’s happening now at Disney+, saying:
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say boy, that would really be interesting to start the experiment over, doing 10 episodes or 12 episodes the way Tom Hiddleston told me he was doing [on “Loki”] with that kind of budget and that Marvel Cinematic production team.”
This quote might inadvertently reveal more than was intended. The first season of Loki is six episodes long, so Tom Hiddleston talking about 12 episodes could be an indication that a second season is already being worked on. After all, given the considerable wait for the show to begin, it’s at least possible that Marvel Studios have decided to greenlight, write and shoot a second season as quickly as possible while the full creative team is in place.
It may also be the case that Marvel Studios know that asking an in-demand actor like Tom Hiddleston to commit to a second series throws up a lot of scheduling conflicts. Considering the reports we’ve heard about Loki shapeshifting during the show, they may have decided to shoot Hiddleston’s second season parts while he’s on set and in costume.
Whatever the case, Loki should be a very interesting series. Here’s hoping the character goes on to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder to react to Jane Foster taking up Mjolnir.
