There are NO major spoilers in this review.
The new Disney+ series, I am delighted to say, rewards full-fledged comic nerds without punishing the casual viewer who either didn’t see or doesn’t remember Avengers: Endgame (meekly raises hand).
“Loki” starts after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Loki suddenly appears in the middle of the Gobi in Mongolia, apparently jet-lagged and unsure of where he is. Moments later, after a brief, funny interaction with Mongolians who have stumbled upon him, he is arrested for having illegally jumped the timeline.
Taken into custody and appearing before a judge, Loki is shown a hilarious explainer video (that also helps the viewer visualize what’s happened). Of course, Loki, insisting repeatedly that he is a God, protests that he is “not supposed to be here,” and it’s only because a kind of “detective” played by Owen Wilson intervenes, that Loki escapes a bad fate. Wilson’s character wants to use Loki as an assistant to track down…wait for it…the other Loki!
That’s all the plot from the first two episodes that I will reveal.
Here’s the important part: Tom Hiddleston, back in his fan favorite role, is absolutely charming, witty and very funny. The writing is sharp, smartass-y, and, as I mentioned, doesn’t alienate newbies, but has enough references to previous events that longtime MCU fans will feel rewarded.
I was recently thinking that I hadn’t heard much from Owen Wilson in a minute, but he is back with his laid back signature style, and a perfect odd-couple partner for Hiddleston. Some of their back and forth dialog makes a strong argument to stick with the series, regardless of where the plot takes them.
And where the plot takes them is…? Time travel. But that’s all I’m saying for now,
Loki premieres on Disney+ with the first episode June 9th. Watch some featurettes with the actors HERE
