Disney+ - Loki : A great beginning

By Mulder, 09 june 2021

First appearing in a comic book (Venus #6) in August 1949, the character of Loki recreated by the writer Stan Lee, the writer Larry Lieber and the draftsman Jack Kirby did not really appear in his modern version in the comic book Journey into Mystery #85 (October 1962). This character, based on the Norse deity of the same name, is the Asgardian God of Mischief, more precisely the adopted son of Odin, the brother and sworn enemy of the superhero Thor. Adored by the public in many comic books and personified in the movies by actor Tom Hiddleston, Loki has established himself as one of the great villains of the Marvel universe. In the Marvel cinematic universe, his presence in six films (Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019)) has made him one of the most charismatic and favorite characters of the spectators, and it is understandable that he is finally benefiting from his own miniseries on Disney +. So after Wandavision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the third original series to be broadcast on Disney + starts today and is soberly entitled Loki.

If we base ourselves on the first episode of a series to define it, we have to admit that Loki looks like the best one so far as it is original and tends to redefine the character of Loki by making him go from a simple enemy thirsty for success and wishing to rule the world with his dreams of greatness to an anti-hero who has to reconsider his priorities and accept compromises if he wants to not only save his own skin but also to regain a certain nobility The series takes place after the events of the movie Avengers: Endgame and redraws some important facts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series starts with a big handicap because the character of Loki is killed by Thanos in Avengers Infinity War, but a curious chance of fate makes that he will change his future and his escape outside the normal timeline will lead to the creation of a Loki qualified as a variant by several people of the Authority of Temporal Variations (TVA). The mission of this office is to intervene to make sure that what was supposed to happen will happen and thus create no break in the normal space. This first episode seems to be a hybrid between the universe of Men In Black, the one of Brazil (1985) by Terry Gilliam with elements of the Marvel universe. This ambitious bet is successful and the first episode is simply devoured and above all gives Loki finally the presence he deserves.

Some may criticize this first episode for its inconsistencies, in particular one may wonder how the Avengers who were able to alternate the course of time did not have to deal with VAT or how Loki can really have a superiority in front of a world in which his powers can no longer be exercised nor how despite his numerous murders and misappropriations, an agency can trust a person capable of betraying his half-brother Thor or even his adoptive parents. However, these few points are swept away by the presence of the actor Tom Hiddleston in top form and by the many mischievous tricks of his character who will have to accept a mission against an enemy that he knows only too well.

Once again Marvel Studios creates the surprise and offers us an excellent beginning of a mini-series which will be composed of six episodes. Once again we can expect the equivalent of a movie of more than four hours perfectly mastered that will keep us in suspense until the last minute of the last episode. The success of this series means that a second season has already been confirmed and that we have already set aside an hour of every Wednesday to take a break from watching the episodes to come.

Synopsis:
Loki takes place after the events chronicled in Avengers Endgame. It features the god of mischief just after he breaks free from his brother Thor. The 2012 version of Loki finds himself a prisoner of the Time Variance Authority. To avoid being erased from reality, he will have to help them fight against a mysterious threat.

Loki
Directed by Kate Herron
Written and created by Michael Waldron
Based on Loki by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Starring Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku
Executive Producers: Kevin Feige, Michael Waldron, Stephen Broussard, Kate Herron
Cinematography : Durald d'automne
Music by Natalie Holt
Production Company: Marvel Studios
Distributor: Disney Platform Distribution
Original Network: Disney
Running time: 40-50 minutes
Release date: June 9, 2021 (Worldwide)

Written by Boris Colletier