In this FandomWire Video Essay, we explore why Loki works where other Disney+ shows don’t.
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Loki Is The Best Disney+ Marvel Show
This… WORKED. As The Marvel Cinematic Universe has branched into television, it’s struggled to retain the same level of performance that earlier films achieved. Fans have been heavily critical of the shows, criticizing them for feeling rushed, unnecessary, and ultimately, like cash-grab attempts from Disney to drive up subscribers for their new streaming service. But Loki has received nearly unanimous praise with 92% critics score and 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. So what is it about this series that resonates with audiences so strongly? Why does Loki work as a piece of the growing MCU puzzle while many of the other series missed the mark? Was it a fluke? An accident or mistake in need of correction from the Time Variance Authority? Or did Marvel catch lightning in a bottle with this one? Let’s get into some mischief as we delve into the world of varying timelines and explore WHY Loki works.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe shows on Disney+ have been an interesting experiment for the franchise. Given that they cost less money to make and promote than a theatrical film, they have become a great way to introduce and explore new concepts, characters, and ideas that are a bit riskier than what we would normally have seen in the movies. Of course, as is the case with any experiment, the results have been somewhat hit-or-miss.
When Loki was first announced, it was met with a combination of excitement and hesitance. Although Tom Hiddleston’s villain was a character that many fans adored, would he be enough to carry a series on his own? It turned out that those fears were completely unfounded, as Loki is arguably the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows so far.
The true indicator of Loki’s success compared to the other series on the streamer is that it is only one of two officially renewed for a second season — the other being the animated show What If…? which began with a two-season order to start with. Ultimately, there is no one factor that can explain Loki’s success, as it’s really a combination of several things that the show did right, culminating in a season finale that set the stage for what would follow in the extended universe.
First and foremost, Loki works because it focuses on the story of a true fan-favorite character. Although other characters like Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes, and Falcon were well-liked in previous outings, none were as established as the Norse trickster. In the first three phases of Marvel, we had already seen Loki in numerous films, and he is one of the few villains to cross over from his individual franchise into the main Avengers storyline.
A large chunk of the Disney+ shows have faced the obstacle of introducing audiences to a brand new character they had never met before. Although there are always cameos from familiar faces — such as Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, or Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel being a looming specter over Ms. Marvel — those shows live or die based on how the audience connects with those new characters. Loki, on the other hand, has the pre-established goodwill from the character’s established history in the universe.
Loki also pinpoints exactly what audiences have loved so much about the character in the past. What fans have latched onto with the character in the past is his evolving relationship with his brother, Thor. Although the hero obviously isn’t in play in this series, we do get a nice analog in Owen Wilson’s Mobius M. Mobius. There’s a nice dynamic between the two of them that splits the difference between buddy comedy and antagonism.
On the other hand, something like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is lacking because it isn’t able to replicate the characters’ pre-existing relationships from previous films. Both characters in the MCU were firmly supporting characters defined by their relationship with Captain America. Although the series gives them each other to bounce off of, the show lacks the presence of a more commanding force.
Loki was also able to capture the balance in tone it set out to achieve significantly better than any of the other shows that have come out so far. The film nails the quirky sense of humor, but that makes sense given that Loki is known for his quick wit and banter. The show also contains some of the most memorable jokes in all of Phase Four, including the Crocodile Loki that absolutely set the internet ablaze when it was introduced.
However, it’s also important that a show like this contains a certain level of action necessary to quench the thirst of fans who’ve come to expect it, and Loki contains plenty of great fight sequences. The series uses the Time Variance Authority’s ability to manipulate time to elevate the action and makes full use of slow motion to present breathtaking visuals in an exciting display.
This is also the birthing ground for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s foray into the Multiverse and Loki uses that plot device in some very interesting and entertaining ways. Primarily, in its use of variants and differing versions of Loki, acting as both allies and foes of the primary version of the titular character. It’s this level of creativity and fun that many of the other Disney+ shows, and even films, struggled to achieve. After all, No Way Home didn’t feature an Alligator Spider-Man, did it?
While other Disney+ shows tend to go too dark or, on the other end of the spectrum, too goofy, Loki finds a balance and manages to stay between those lines throughout its run. Falcon and the Winter Soldier attempts to ground itself too much in reality and, as a result, ends up feeling dark, dire, and distant for many of its episodes. On the other hand, something like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law sought to differentiate itself by delving into outright silly territory, making it hard for viewers to get truly invested in the story or believe the stakes. Loki is in that perfect middle-ground between lighthearted and big enough in scale to make it fun yet impactful.
Another significant element that makes Loki so beloved by fans is its visual style. The show is heavily centered around retro tech, from the animated mascot Ms. Minutes to the entire design of the Time Variance Authority. The show came at a moment when nostalgia was still at an all-time high, so shows with this type of aesthetic were highly in demand. The production design on this show is truly next-level — but that should come as no surprise, given that the production designer was on the team responsible for Black Panther.
WandaVision had attempted to do something similar with a retro aesthetic, but it didn’t fully commit to it. Instead, each episode evolved to a new style of sitcom filmmaking. Although this was an interesting experiment in and of itself, the world created by that show was nowhere near as immersive and alluring as that created by Loki — which is ironic, considering that the whole premise of WandaVision was about Wanda constructing that false world.
Fans have praised Loki for being the most successful use of the multiverse in Marvel thus far. Although Spider-Man: No Way Home would do an excellent job of bringing heroes and villains from past iterations of the character together, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was criticized for not exploring the multiverse in creative enough ways. Loki’s commitment to showing us different variants and timelines made it a great introduction to this concept which would become pivotal for the rest of the MCU.
What many of these Disney+ Marvel shows have struggled with is understanding their role in the greater context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some fans have complained that watching the new Marvel movies now requires watching the Disney+ shows too because of how their events directly set up the events of the next movie. However, this is a bit of a double-edged sword, as this means the shows often can’t stand on their own. Thankfully, Loki does this better than the rest.
Just look at WandaVision, for example. WandaVision starts out well, but in the final two episodes, it largely becomes a teaser trailer for what will happen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Any emotional connection we had with the characters is abandoned in favor of a rushed connection to turn Wanda into Scarlet Witch.
Similarly, Ms. Marvel serves double duty by introducing us to a new character in Kamala Khan while setting up the next Captain Marvel movie, The Marvels. While the first three or four episodes of the series stand on their own and tell a pretty compelling, independent story, it becomes clear in the final two episodes that they are more concerned with the future of the franchise than telling a good story in its own right.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is one of the more egregious examples of a Disney+ show existing only to set up other properties. The primary focus of this show is to pass the baton — or, more accurately, the shield — on to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. However, the show also introduced us to new characters like Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent and Julia Louis-Dryefus’s Valentina that will come into play in future films like Thunderbolts.
Loki, on the other hand, does it right. Sure, the events of Loki have a wide-reaching impact on the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s also a fun adventure from the moment it begins till the moment it ends, and the story stands on its own outside of its connections to the wider universe. And while the final episode ends on a cliffhanger, with a presumably more sinister variant of Kang taking over the TVA, the season as a whole feels like a complete, cohesive story — not something that merely bridges to another film or television show.
Loki is important because it introduces us to the idea of Kang through “He Who Remains.” However, it is important to note that the name “Kang” is never mentioned once in the series. This is crucial because it shows that the creators of Loki weren’t ready to take things too quickly. Although this character is very much expanding the world, this expansion did not come all at once, so as to not overwhelm the viewer with extra exposition.
Loki played an important role in setting up the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and presumably Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but either of these films could have been watched without season one of Loki. While the show explains and adds some context to the ideas of Kang and the Multiverse, the explanation given to the characters in Quantumania is more than enough to understand what is happening. That is why Loki works well as a series on its own.
Based on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, it seems that the upcoming second season of Loki will focus on Loki and Mobius teaming up to track down variants of Kang throughout the timelines. Although this is probably going to tie directly into the events of The Kang Dynasty, it is also sure to be an amazing adventure on its own.
What do you think? Is Loki the most successful of the MCU Disney+ shows so far? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to like and subscribe in all branches of the timeline. As always, thanks for watching! And I’ll see you next time.
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