The long-awaited Disney+ and Marvel Studios’ series Loki finally hit the streaming service with the premiere of its first episode on June 9. Titled “Glorious Purpose,” the pilot episode of the third Marvel Studios series for Disney+ reintroduced the fan-favorite MCU character, the God of Mischief, Loki. Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager, War Horse) returns to portray his Marvel Cinematic Universe character for the dramedy and action streaming original. Ahead of its release, Marvel fans were clamoring for the first taste of the series that would center on the multiverse and the beloved character.
Creator Michael Waldron (Rick and Morty) takes audiences on a ride through the varying MCU events with the reintroduction of Loki following the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. The pilot picks up with Loki obtaining the Tesseract back in 2012 as a result of the Avengers returning to the 2012 timeline in Endgame. Loki utilizes this to escape his arrest situation before ultimately being apprehended by the newest addition to the MCU, the Time Variance Authority or TVA, where he is being held accountable for alternating the one true timeline set by the three mysterious Time Keepers.
Loki tackles the God of Mischief’s standalone project with a combination of 60s aesthetics and the complex nature of timelines in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether it is the pseudo-steampunk setting of the TVA headquarters or the Jetsons-style presentation of the TVA’s animated figurehead Miss Minutes, “Glorious Purpose” engages with the thought of futuristic technology combined with the gloomy overtones of the agency’s office space.
The pilot episode did not offer much for what will entail for Hiddleston’s character or Owen Wilson’s (Wedding Crashers) TVA agent Mobius. Fans can expect the duo to work together to help stop an alternate version of Loki who is murdering agents across varying timelines, yet the series does not provide much detail in where it will take place at this current time. “Glorious Purpose” acts as a succinct display of the series’ exposition while taking the chance to re-introduce the witty, zany anti-hero titular character.
Hiddleston returns to form as the God of Mischief following his last appearance in Avengers: Endgame. His God complex and desire to rule over others persists despite the TVA limiting his abilities to use his powers. Hiddleston’s body language is on point throughout the first episode whether this be through his physical comedy while waiting in a line of two or his two daring escapes with his first finding him pronouncing himself to unsuspecting individuals in the middle of the Gobi Desert and his subsequent arrest at the hands of the TVA. Hiddleston exemplifies the banter that Marvel and film fans have grown accustomed to in his past outings, particularly with his back-and-forth with Wilson. “Glorious Purpose” embarks on the start of great on-screen chemistry between the two actors.
The reintroduction of Loki heavily centers on reprising the attitude and likeness of the 2012’s version to the audience. Yet, the series takes the chance to catch the 2012 timeline up to the speed of the 2021 MCU and the state of his character. Providing Loki with the future knowledge of his fate presents an interesting narrative that can be utilized to help explain his various narrow escapes with death and danger in other Marvel films such as Thor: Ragnarok. The pilot episode delves into the unnerving futures of the Loki character such as the accidental murder of his mother in addition to his final moment when in front of Thanos. Potentially, Loki can offer some explanations to the double-crossing nature of the God of Mischief throughout the MCU as it may be in the interest of the singular timeline that is overseen by these three unknown Time Keepers.
Given the pilot episode is jammed packed with exposition regarding the new environment Loki finds himself within, the newest Marvel addition to the Disney+ catalog finds itself delving into the unknown of time, similar to that of WandaVision and the utilizing infinity stones in Infinity War and Endgame.
Loki presents itself with a lot of fun prospects for the God of Mischief and the pilot episode sets up exciting ideas for the development of the MCU’s Phase Four. Despite not offering a clear-cut villain for the series besides for the alternate version of Loki, the pilot kicks off a new and differing avenue for Marvel Studios with fans now awaiting the arrival of the second episode on Wednesday, June 16.
Rating: 8.5/10