Marvel Studios' Loki was in the midst of production when the COVID-19 pandemic forced Disney to temporarily suspend filming on all of its projects in March. Now, Gugu Mbatha-Raw confirms the Tom Hiddleston series has returned to Atlanta, Georgia, to resume filming.
After portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic franchise since Thor debuted in theaters in 2011, Tom Hiddleston seemingly bid farewell to the role after the God of Mischief was murdered by Thanos in the opening moments of Avengers: Infinity War. However, a television show centered on Loki was one of the first projects confirmed to be a part of Marvel Studios' slate of limited series for Disney+. Hiddleston reprises his role as the fan-favorite villain, but this time as the 2012 version of the character who escaped custody with the tesseract after the Battle of New York due to the time-traveling machinations of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Endgame.
Joining Hiddleston in the Loki series in undisclosed roles are Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson, Cailey Fleming, Richard E. Grant, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. During an interview with Forbes, Mbatha-Raw commented on the relative benefits of having downtime during the shutdown. "I was in the middle of filming when the pandemic happened, so I had a real break, I’ve been painting and reading. Like so many others, I was at home for a long time. Not to make light of the suffering going on, but in some ways, it has been an opportunity for me to get a fresh perspective on things," she said. Despite the respite, Mbatha-Raw added that she is grateful to return to Atlanta, Georgia, to continue filming Loki, saying, "now I’m thankful to be back to work. It’s been a journey for everyone, but it’s all for a greater reason and the greater good."
Mbatha-Raw, perhaps best known for her roles in The Morning Show and Black Mirror, also explained that she did not need to spend her time rewatching the Marvel Studios catalog during the unplanned hiatus, saying, "I’d already watched a lot of them. I got Disney+ when I got the job, so I binged a lot of it then." While Mbatha-Raw could not divulge information on her character, she did note that the cast and crew are taking the necessary precautions to continue filming while protecting everyone during the pandemic. "I’m obviously sworn to secrecy about everything to do with Loki, but it feels great to be back. Everyone is trying to do it as safely as possible under the circumstances, and it feels good. I’m excited. It’s a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see it," she said.
Loki was initially scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in spring 2021, but the shutdown impacted the planned debuted date as was the case with WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Both shows were also forced to suspend production due to pandemic, resulting in WandaVision now being the first of the Marvel Studios series to premiere on Disney+ in December 2020 as opposed to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was originally set to debut in August of the same year before being postponed.
Regardless of when Loki may debut, fans are likely to consider the series to be worth the wait. Despite being one of the most prominent villains in the early years of the MCU, Hiddleston's Loki quickly became one of the more popular characters in the entire franchise.
Marvel Studios' Loki is scheduled to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2021.
Source: Forbes