Loki’s not gone for good, folks. Word broke in September that Disney was making big plans for the good people at the Disney-owned Marvel Studios to be a part of Disney’s upcoming streaming service. Those planswere rumored to includea standalone Loki series withTom Hiddlestonreprising his role as the love-to-hate-him MCU character, and todayDisney confirmedthis is indeed the plan. Details are scant, but Disney said a live-action series centered around Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston, will debut on the streaming service—which now has a name: Disney+
When word first broke about these standalone series in September, the reports were that these shows were being envisioned as extensions of the existing MCU and could be limited or miniseries runs consisting of just a handful of episodes each, telling a complete story. That would gel with the busy schedules of actors like Hiddleston while also letting fans experience a movie-level MCU story in more of a longform format.
These Disney+ shows will differ from previous Marvel shows likeAgents of S.H.I.E.LD.andDaredevilin one key regard: Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigewill oversee the Disney+ Marvel shows, while the Netflix and ABC Marvel shows were overseen by Marvel TV’sJeph Loeb. So don’t worry, we’re not in for anotherInhumans-level disaster.
Other MCU actors rumored for their own standalone series includeElizabeth Olsen, who could get a limited Scarlet Witch run, andAnthony MackieandSebastian Stanwho might be leadinga Falcon/Winter Soldier series. The only show that has been confirmed is this Loki one for now, even though we still don’t know who’s writing, producing, or directing it.
That said, as Disney aims to launch Disney+ at the end of next year, they’re looking to bank as much content as possible that’ll be available when it launches. The live-actionStar WarsshowThe Mandalorianis already filming, and today Disney announced thataRogue Oneprequel seriesstarringDiego Lunais also in the works. This is all in addition to an animatedMonsters Inc.series and a live-actionHigh School Musicalseries, as well as original feature films like thelive-actionLady and the Tramp.
Buckle up, folks. #PeakTV ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
