Well, this was unexpected. Marvel Studios and Disney+’s upcoming Loki series has moved its start date—and it will air weekly on Wednesdays instead of the Friday schedule we were used to with WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But I guess if you’re making a big change, there’s no better way than to have series star Tom Hiddleston film a charming announcement to that end.
The news is a surprise because Loki has long been slated to debut June 11th. Now, however, the show will bow on June 9th, 2021. Tom Hiddleston has a fun filmed bit to deliver the news. He very politely “interrupts” to note that Loki isn’t often featured in “superhero montages” like that recent Marvel love letter to its movies: “Loki tends to get a bit left out. Even though arguably he’s incredibly heroic himself, cunning, charming. I could go on … but why don’t I prove it to you … [Loki voice] Wednesdays are the new Fridays!”
Wednesdays are the new Fridays 🗓 Mark your calendars for new episodes of Marvel Studios’ #Loki, streaming Wednesdays starting June 9 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/eewvQhdqJn
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) May 5, 2021
The good news is that we’re getting Loki a few days earlier than we thought.
The bad news (at least for me) is that this makes for potentially awkward viewing. Both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier came out with new episodes at 3 AM EST/12 AM PST on Fridays. It felt possible to stay up that late to catch the show because, well, it was Friday, and if you went bleary-eyed through the day at least the weekend was at hand. Those of us who are covering Loki or are ardent fans and want to stay ahead of the Twitter spoilers will have a pretty strange mid-week event now. But for Loki, I’m game.
The move is a curious one, and it may be a question of Disney+ testing the viewership waters with new days for its high-profile properties. WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and The Mandalorian have all had that Friday airing. But Loki could potentially generate week-long discussions about its episodes and not be limited to weekend chatter. All of those discussions and coverage from Wednesday on may also cause more people to check out the show.
Fans aren’t quite sure what to make of the news:
As our Vivian Kane speculated, it’s also quite possible the move is a prudent one, with Disney+ anticipating that summer Fridays this year may be more active than last year’s pandemic lockdowns. “Friday night is a good night for TV during a pandemic but maybe not so much as things start to go back toward normal,” she said. While our “normal” continues to be in flux and there’s no telling what the summer will bring, this does make sense.
If Loki is going to be a new Disney+ event at peak summertime, Wednesdays maybe are the new Fridays for the streaming network.
Oh, and here’s the official synopsis if you’re just joining us:
Marvel Studios’ “Loki” features the God of Mischief as he steps out of his brother’s shadow in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Kate Herron directs “Loki,” and Michael Waldron is head writer.
(image: Marvel Studios)
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