MCU has not really been the giant it is at the box office when entering Award ceremonies, as apart from a few exceptions, most fall stale in comparison to other acclaimed films released each year. While it has been the same story for the MCU in the TV landscape that has pushed them to ditch their current model to adopt a more traditional approach to TV, there was one major exception, Loki.
Not only does the second season further elevate in quality and was easily one of the top MCU releases of the year, but it was also the only MCU outing that advanced the multiversal storyline. And while things were looking good for the series heading into Directors Guild of America’s 76th annual DGA Awards, it was Pedro Pascal’s The Last of Us that eventually took the win.
Kasra Farahani’s Impeccable Work in Loki 2 Deserved to Be Rewarded
Continuing its success this Award season, Pedro Pascal‘s The Last of Us defeated Loki 2 and other notable nominees in the Production Design Category for the One Hour Fantasy Single-Camera Series. And while it’s not hard to see why Emmy-nominated production designer John Paino’s work, especially in Infected, was awarded the accolade, fans would argue Loki too deserved the win. Not only Loki 2 is levels ahead of its other MCU peers in terms of visuals, having a more stylized appeal accompanied by rich cinematography, but the CGI usage for the show was kept to a minimum.
This allowed the Production team, led by Kasra Farahani, to succeed in giving the show a different aesthetic, differentiating it from the other dull MCU releases in recent years. Reflecting on its stylized appeal, cinematographer Isaac Bauman said:
“I’d say the proof is in the pudding. Watch Loki Season 2. It goes without saying it’s a show driven by wonderful production design, writing, acting, and yes, the cinematography as well. We built four walls and a ceiling every time on that set. There’s very little VFX work on Loki,”
But despite being the most visually pleasing MCU release in years, it was The Last of Us‘ John Paino who eventually took the win, which is not unreasonable to see why.
Pedro Pascal’s The Last of Us Season 2 Adds Loki Director to Its Star-Studded List
Although a third Loki Season with Tom Hiddleston seems unlikely, things are looking great for The Last of Us, as the HBO show has now included a star-studded list of directors for season 2. This involves Emmy-winning Mark Mylodand, Loki director Kate Herron, Watchmen‘s Stephen Williams, and Perry Mason‘s Nina Lopez-Corrado alongside the returning duo of Peter Hoar and Craig Mazin.
It’ll be interesting to see how the second chapter in the Pedro Pascal-led series unfolds, especially considering how divisive the game was. This leaves a question of whether the Pedro Pascal-led show will be as truthful to the second game as it was to the first.
The Last of Us is available to stream on Max.
Loki is available to stream on Disney+.
