Loki

Of the eight live-action TV shows that Marvel Studios has produced for Disney+ to date, only one has concluded with the exciting promise of a second season. That show is none other than "Loki," the incredibly entertaining series that revolves around Tom Hiddleston's mischievous god and his mind-bending adventures in the Time Variance Authority.

The plans for a second season of "Loki" were already in motion long before a single episode had even streamed. Executive producer Kevin Wright reveals in his interview with Variety that he and Hiddleston started discussing Season 2 while they were still in production for the third episode of Season 1.

During the shooting of the "Lamentis" episode, Tom and I began having numerous conversations about how we could expand and delve deeper into this fascinating world," Wright explains. "Our goal was to avoid repeating ourselves and not rely on familiar storytelling tropes." At the same time, they wanted to ensure that Season 2 wouldn't simply rush through the aftermath of the Season 1 finale.

And what an explosive finale it was. To summarize: Loki and his charming variant-turned-potential-love-interest Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) arrive at the end of time, where they encounter the creator of the TVA, He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) — a variant of the supervillain Kang who emerged victorious in an epic multiversal war. To prevent the emergence of future Kang variants, He Who Remains has utilized the TVA to maintain a single, sacred timeline, sacrificing trillions of potential lives along the way. He presents Sylvie and Loki with an impossible choice: take his place as the head of the TVA or kill him, thereby unleashing countless Kangs.

While Loki favors the first option, Sylvie insists on the second. Eventually, Sylvie emerges triumphant, killing He Who Remains and banishing Loki to an alternate version of the TVA where Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) have no recollection of ever meeting him.

Variety has had the opportunity to preview the first four episodes of "Loki" Season 2, and without giving anything away, it seamlessly continues the story from where the first season left off while paving its own unique narrative path. The entire cast has returned, including Gugu Mbatha-Raw as former TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer, Eugene Cordero as TVA functionary Casey, Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains, and introducing another Kang variant named Victor Timely, an inventor from the 19th century. Joining them are new talents such as Kate Dickie from "Game of Thrones," Rafael Casal from "Blindspotting," and recent Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan portraying TVA technician Ouroboros, also known as "OB."

Behind the scenes, there have been some changes for Season 2. The original director Kate Herron and head writer Michael Waldron have stepped back to focus on other projects. Their positions have been filled by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead from "Moon Knight" as lead directors, while Season 1 writer Eric Martin has taken on the role of head writer for Season 2.

To dive deeper into the world of Season 2, Wright spoke with Variety about the casting of Ke Huy Quan, just before his career-transforming performance in the multiverse spectacle "Everything Everywhere All at Once." They also discuss the future of the show and the character of Loki following Season 2, as well as how Jonathan Majors' arrest in March for assault may or may not have impacted the plans for Season 2.

When it came to approaching Season 2, the team constantly reminded themselves to embrace the richness of the TVA and fully immerse themselves in the drama they had crafted. This meant not rushing through the aftermath of the decision to halt timeline pruning and staying true to the emotional turmoil that both Loki and Sylvie carry into this new season.

There were certain aspects of Season 1 that felt like risks, with uncertainties about how the audience would respond. However, once they saw the positive reception, it gave them the freedom to push boundaries even further.

One significant risk was revealed during the early stages of the script written by Michael Waldron. Initially, the Time Theater conversation between Mobius and Loki was just a couple of pages long. However, the team realized that the heart of the show lay within this captivating dialogue. By delving into the introspective journeys of the characters and exploring their philosophical depths, they sought to offer something unconventional compared to the previous decade of Marvel films. The question remained: Would the audience join them on this character-driven exploration?

Unlike Season 1, Tom Hiddleston did not hold character seminars for Season 2. The production aimed to retain as much of the original crew as possible, keeping a sense of institutional knowledge intact. With the majority of department heads returning for Season 2, continuity was ensured. Furthermore, Tom Hiddleston, being a true producing partner, contributed to the creative process in various ways.

With all these insights into the making of "Loki" Season 2, fans can anticipate another thrilling chapter in this captivating series.