Loki returns for its second season this Thursday (keep an eye out for social media reactions in just over an hour), and executive producer Kevin Wright spoke to Variety about what viewers can expect from the God of Mischief's next adventure and why one of the returning cast member's recent brush with the law didn't have an impact on the production.
Jonathan Majors was introduced as a Kang Variant known as He Who Remains in the season 1 finale, and returns as a different, more heroic version of the character, Victor Timely, about halfway through the second season.
Majors' arrest for assault (his trial is pending) has been well-documented, but Marvel Studios has yet to take any action or release a statement on the matter, and Wright explains why the actor's legal troubles didn't affect the series.
"This is maybe — not maybe — this is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography. The story that is on screen is the story we set out to make. We went out there with a very specific idea of what we wanted this to be, and we found a way to tell it in that production period. It’s very much what’s on screen on Disney+."
Wright went on to confirm that there was never any discussion about making changes to Majors' role.
"No. And that mainly came from — I know as much as you do at the moment. It felt hasty to do anything without knowing how all of this plays out."
As for a possible third season, Wright says they didn't "develop this season going, 'We have to tee up Season 3' — in the way that we did with Season 1," but notes that there's certainly potential for the series to continue. He also hints that we will eventually see Loki rejoin his brother, Thor, in the main MCU at some point.
"That’s the hope. I don’t want to — yeah. I think the sun shining on Loki and Thor once again has always been the priority of the story we’re telling. But for that meeting to really be fulfilling, we have to get Loki to a certain place emotionally. I think that’s been the goal of these two seasons."
Loki season 2 "promises new excitement as it thrusts the infamous God of Mischief into a new set of adventures with the TVA."
The series stars Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Rafael Casal, Tara Strong, Kate Dickie, Liz Carr, Neil Ellice, with Jonathan Majors, Ke Huy Quan and Owen Wilson.
Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Dan Deleeuw and Kasra Farahani will direct all six episodes.
The head writer is Eric Martin. Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Kevin R. Wright, Tom Hiddleston, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Eric Martin and Michael Waldron are the executive producers, with Trevor Waterson serving as co-executive producer.
Loki season 2 begins streaming on October 6, exclusively on Disney+.