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"WandaVision", "The Falcon & the Winter Soldier" & "The Mandalorian" Season 2 Return Months Confirmed
From WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier to Hawkeye and What If?, fans of Marvel Studios have a lot to look forward to even after "The House of Mouse" launched its Disney+ streaming service in November 2019 – with the next phase of the MU kicking off this year with Falcon and WandaVision. But our eyeballs have been keeping a large chunk of their interest aimed at Tom Hiddleston's return as the God of Mischief in Loki.
Following up on Super Bowl Sunday's sneak preview of WandaVision, The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, and Loki – Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed on Tuesday that The Falcon and the Winter Solider will dubut August 2020, with WandaVision set for December 2020. No release date was set for Loki, but the series is expected to have a Spring 2021 debut. On the Star Wars side of the streamer, The Mandalorian is set to return October 2020.
Details on Loki have been kept under a public relations "protection spell" – understandable considering the character's "situation" post-Endgame (more on that in a minute). But that spell started to break little by little, first with Hiddleston's comments from an interview during 2019's Shanghai International Film Festival.
Later that summer at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), the actor revealed that the series' version of Loki will be an Avengers-era one: the evil and selfish villain – and that the series would show what happened to Thor's brother after Avengers: Endgame.
"You guys saw Avengers right? So he's still that guy. And just about the last thing that happened to him was he got Hulk-smashed. So there's a lot of psychological evolution that is still yet to happen. Kevin [Feige] has generally shown me what his plans are. I can't tell you any of them, but it is one of the most exciting creative opportunities I think I've ever come across. This is new territory, a new world, new challenges, and I cannot wait to get started."
– Tom Hiddleston
In August 2019, Hiddleston let fans know when production was beginning on the 2021 series as well as what he's looking forward to during an interview with EW ahead of his Broadway debut in Betrayal:
"Loki will start at the top of next year. He's such a classical character. [Thor and Loki], they're from Norse myths — they have a kind of gravitas to them. Robert in Betrayal is much more earthbound. They're both very complex, but Robert is a publisher and a husband and a father. Loki is the god of mischief. [Laughs] Two quite different figures."
He wasn't far off: reports surfaced later that month that filming was to begin on January 28, 2020. Hiddleston would then reveal to MTV News that the series would be six hours (episodes?) long, with Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige stating he expects Kate Herron to direct the full season. Feige also revealed that the series would connect directly with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Hiddleston took to Instagram in December 2019 to post a photo of himself, Herron, and others out for what looks like the beginning of a pre-holiday meal. Hiddleston confirmed prep work was underway and that they'll be seeing us "in the New Year":
Early last week, Hiddleston posted a video via Instagram showing that the actor ws clearly back to stunt training:
Now comes word that Owen Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Wedding Crashers) is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with ComicBook.com reporting that the actor has come aboard the series in a (surprise, surprise) undisclosed role. While Marvel and Disney have not confirmed or commented on the report, if true it would make for an interesting "comic book family dynamic" within the Wilson family. Luke Wilson (Old School, Idiocracy) stars in The DC Universe / The CW's upcoming live-action DCU series Stargirl.