Loki Season 2 Sadly Proves Marvel's Glory Days Are Over
Looks like Disney has failed again.
Disney has been a hot topic for years. Despite the company's billions of dollars in revenue, its new projects turn out to be either absolute hits or absolute failures. Mostly the latter.
Just look at the state of the MCU: Quantumania and Secret Invasion were total disappointments. The only bright spot in the industry darkness was Loki, whose first season felt like a breath of fresh air while Marvel Studios dragged the franchise through Phase 4. Except that Disney has an amazing ability to step on its own rake every time, and the reviews for Season 2 of Loki suggest that has happened again.
Anticipated yet concerning premiere
On Friday, October 6, Loki Season 2 will debut on Disney+, continuing the story of Tom Hiddleston's anti-hero trickster. Season 1 proved to be a fascinating and emotional ride: we had a retro-futuristic entourage, a character study of Loki, an exploration of his and Sylvie's (Sophia Di Martino) traumas as they ended up on opposite sides of morality, Owen Wilson's relatable humor, and even the alligator Loki!
The main villain of the series turned out to be the character behind the origin of the multiverse, Kang the Conqueror. However, Jonathan Majors proved to be problematic, to say the least, and fans were still hoping that Disney would somehow address the issue. However, due to the SAG-AGTRA strike, the company chose to keep the matter quiet and not seek a replacement.
Fears grew when Disney showed its disdain for the show by releasing an AI-generated poster featuring an incredibly uncanny plastic Hiddleston. All in all, fans have low expectations.
All in all, fans have low expectations.
Scathing reviews
And from the looks of it, our fears may be justified. The embargo on reviews has finally been lifted, and journalists can finally share their assessments of the first four episodes of the series that have been sent to the press.
Many, from The Telegraph to The Hollywood Reporter (it's worth noting the stark contrast, as the first review was scathing, while the second praised the show's eclectic kitsch), agreed on one thing - it's the production design and the actors themselves that hold the show together, rather than the writing.
However, neither Loki nor Mobius, and especially Sylvie, whose storyline was cut far more severely, can yet overcome the agonizing state of the plot.
Of course, every review is a journalist's subjective opinion, and the first four episodes do not reveal the essence of the season as a whole. We, the ordinary viewers waiting for the premiere, can only hope that Disney has not repeated its previous mistakes.
Source: The Telegraph, The Hollywood Reporter.