Loki may be capable of surviving all kinds of crazy scrapes, but it seems that even he can’t escape Coronavirus. The Disney+ show has been filming in Atlanta for the last few weeks, but now the @AtlantaFilming Twitter account is reporting that Loki (and Stranger Things) is pausing production for the foreseeable future. These shows join a long list of projects who’ve shut down until Coronavirus blows over.
Over the last few days, Marvel Studios has also put Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings (with director Destin Daniel Cretton going into isolation with a suspected case) and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on hiatus. While this doesn’t mean that their release dates will definitely be pushed back, it certainly seems likely.
It’s also entirely possible that the new Coronavirus regulations being put in place around the world takes the decision out of Disney’s hands and mandates that these productions shut down. Besides, I’m sure the insurance on the productions will pay out in this eventuality and the studio has a duty of care to its performers and crew. Plus, with Tom Hanks picking up Coronavirus on the set of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie, it’s proven that film and TV shoots can be a hotbed of contagion.
Other major productions currently in the middle of their shoots include The Matrix 4, which is being shot in the US and Germany, and The Batman, which is being shot in the UK. No word yet on whether Warner Bros. will hit the pause button on these, but with the situation growing ever more serious by the day, I suspect the studio’s hand may soon be forced.
All this means we may see a relatively dry period for cinematic excitement in late 2020 and early 2021, perhaps akin to the 2007-2008 Writer’s Guild of America strike. Whatever the case, while fans of Loki, Bucky and Sam Wilson may be disappointed at a potential delay, I’m sure they’ll want to keep the actors and crew safe.
