It's finally time to pick up where we left off with Loki the series, when the highly anticipated second season drops tomorrow on Disney+.
So, to celebrate season two dropping, we caught up with Kevin Wright and Dan Deleeuw to talk about the new episodes and ask them some of YOUR fan questions!
Hi both! Congratulations, the series is already Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, how does that feel?
Dan: Everyone did such an amazing job and put a lot of time into making it, so it's amazing to know that people are liking it so far.
Kevin: I'm really excited to just get it out into the world and for fans to see it! I think season two is like a love letter to the fans that embraced season one and all of its weirdness.
What is the vibe for season two and how different is it from last season? (submitted by @sylkicest)
Dan: Season one was really about introducing the TVA and Loki kind of reevaluating who he is. I think in season two you're getting more of Loki the god of mischief, and instead of him being reigned in by Mobius in season one, his passions are unleashed this season.
Kevin: Yeah, I think everything people loved about the first season is still here, but we put all of it in a pressure cooker! We pick up immediately where season one ended with all the high stakes drama, and we sort of live in that stress for a bit.
This season is about people finding out who they really are, which they discover under some particularly stressful conditions, but it forces some great character development, I think.
What do you feel are the most important determining factors for Loki's growth this season? (submitted by @xlowkeyson)
Kevin: If Loki is ever to become the best version of himself – whatever that means for Loki – then he has to embrace all aspects of himself. That's what this season is about for him. He's a truly powerful god and he's destined for so much more than just causing mischief. So that exploration of who he is and what he can do is what determines his growth this season, I think.
Dan: I think it's also about his relationships with the other characters. He's gone from someone who had a brother – and that was a rocky relationship – and no friends, to having people he really cares about. I like that his relationship with Mobius goes from being an official one to something more like a friendship, and his relationship with Sylvie is fascinating too.
And given his bisexual reveal in season one, will we get to see Loki's queer identity explored this season? (submitted by @MsLm_97)
Dan: Erm, it's not as present, honestly. It's kind of hard to focus on emotional feelings when the fate of the universe at stake, you know!
How does Sylvie change this season?
Kevin: Well, Sylvie was seeking free will for everyone because she's never had it, so what does a character do when they finally have what they want? I think she's just trying to understand what a life is, you know? She's a traumatised person – I don't think she'd ever think of herself that way – but growing up the way she did, she's traumatised. So she's trying to make friends and exist in a place where people can get to know her, which is completely new to her.
Dan: I think it's interesting, all of the characters kind of represent different aspects of free will versus destiny, right? With Sylvie, she's rejecting destiny and supporting free will. She made the choice to kill He Who Remains, and she does not want to veer from the path she's chosen. She's gonna be steadfast about it too – she is a Loki, after all!
In three words, how would you describe the relationship between Loki and Sylvie in season two? (submitted by @sylkipositivity)
Dan: Let's see – complicated, regretful, and frustrated.
Kevin: I'd say, neither can trust.
Will we see any of the other Loki variants return – specifically "Kid Loki" and "Croki"? (submitted by @lokiusera and @ImSheWhoRemains)
Kevin: It's hard to say without spoiling anything, but I would say that we didn't want to go back and just play the hits again. However, I would love to see more of those characters and I think there's a lot we can do with them.
Dan, Tom (Hiddleston) and Owen (Wilson) have such great chemistry and people seem to enjoy shipping Loki and Mobius, is this something you're conscious of or have ever thought about alluding to?
Dan: We definitely look at the internet, like, we see what's going on on Reddit! It's always nice when the story intersects with what fans want, but we don't use fan forums as a guide or anything. The story has to be real to us and drive the characters to make honest decisions based on what is happening to them.
Kevin, now that the TVA and its mission are in flux, how will Mobius react to all this chaos? Will he get to redefine his own "glorious purpose"? (submitted by @CharCubed)
Kevin: I think that's a huge part of this season – for B15 and certainly for Mobius. The TVA is all they've ever known, and that's kind of where they want to be. For Mobius, that will really come to be challenged this season, and he's going to be forced to understand that his life was taken from him.
Dan, did you enjoy working with Ke Huy Quan? Do you have any behind-the-scenes stories about him that you could tell us? (submitted by @sherlokius)
Dan: He's amazing. He's very kind and very talented; you always want him on set because of his energy. I asked him about working with Spielberg and all sorts of things, but the best story I have is we were on set, and I was walking in one direction and he was walking in another. As he passed me, I realised he was humming "The Imperial March" from The Empire Strikes Back. I was like, this is amazing, Short Round is humming "The Imperial March"!
Well, speaking of Star Wars, were there any references you used as inspiration for your directorial choices in Loki this season? (submitted by @CharCubed)
Dan: Yeah, I looked at '70s thrillers quite a lot – things like The French Connection and Marathon Man. At the beginning of the show, there's a car chase and that was influenced by those kinds of films.
People loved the "see you soon" line from season one – which line do you think people will obsess over in season two? Do you have a favourite line of dialogue?
Kevin: I don't want to spoil anything, but Victor Timely has some great lines and we had a lot of fun digging up some really great 1800s sayings and mannerisms. My favourite is actually in episode six – I'm trusting that people will know it when they hear it!
Dan: I like when Sylvie says the TVA is bullshit, that was nice. I like a lot of Tom's lines, probably too many count. I think Sylvie's line are the best though, you could sum up the season with what she says.
Kevin, you've said that with regards to Jonathan Majors appearing in this season, "the story that is on screen is the story we set out to make". How do you think fans will react to Jonathan's return?
Kevin: I couldn't say how they'll react. My hope is they are engrossed by the story and not only his performance, but all the performances. There's a reason why I said it's the story we set out to make, it's a good story and it's really beautifully performed by everybody. So my hope is that people will embrace it and enjoy it, but I also understand that it's a complicated situation.
What are some of the key differences between Kang, He Who Remains, and Victor Timely?
Dan: I remember seeing Jonathan on set – I'd worked with him on Quantumania – and we started to talk about Kang, but he was in character as Victor Timely. He then said "oh, that guy's my brother". So I guess he's kind of established this familial relationship between them all, and that's how I look at them too.
Kevin: I think they're all very different people. Victor is somebody who's earnest and truly wants to do good. I think He Who Remains thinks the same thing, or will claim the same thing, but he's a bit more duplicitous. Whereas Kang is one of the scarier versions of the character, and someone Loki has been warned about.
Many believe that Kang is being moulded to be the next big MCU villain à la Thanos, how does season of Loki contribute to that?
Kevin: In Loki, Kang is so essential to our story and has been the focus of almost 12 hours of storytelling, so he already IS a big part of the MCU. We've laid all that groundwork, but we'll have to wait and see what others come up with.
Dan: I don't know exactly what they're doing. I love Kang as a character, and I think there are a lot of opportunities – just even from what we've done – to explore.
Dan, what was the most difficult scene to shoot this season? (submitted by @vcdvsbs)
Dan: A lot of the chase scenes we shot in London in the summer where you've got like four and half hours of darkness, so that was a bit tricky. We'd get everything set up and I'd be looking at my DOP like, "can we go? Can we go?" We'd be waiting for the sun to get lower and lower and then dreading it coming up the next day!
That's funny! Do you have a favourite episode you're excited for people to see? (submitted by @Sophy_Muses and @indigoblue171)
Kevin: I do think episodes five and six are probably the most beautiful and moving. Four is awesome too, it's like a pressure cooker, just like season one's fourth episode. I think what we did with the World Fair in episode three is beautiful and honestly feels like a movie in its own right, too. Episode one hits the ground running, and for people who like the mischievous side of Loki, they'll enjoy that episode, I think.
And finally, will there be a season three??? (submitted by @lolo300)
Kevin: I'm gonna steal a Tom line: "time will tell".
Dan: I was gonna say the same thing!