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"The Variant" is the second episode of the first season of the American television series ''
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
'', based on
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
featuring the character
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
. It follows an alternate version of the character who cannot return to his own timeline and is now working with the mysterious
Time Variance Authority The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chronicoms, based on the lower-ran ...
(TVA) to hunt down a fugitive variant of himself. The episode is set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Elissa Karasik and directed by
Kate Herron Kate Herron (born 1987/1988) is an English director, writer, and producer. She is known for her female-led comedies. She directed and executive produced the first season of the Disney+ series ''Loki''. Career Herron began her career writing a ...
.
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...
reprises his role as
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
from the film series, with
Sophia Di Martino Sophia Di Martino (born 15 November 1983) is an English actress known for portraying Sylvie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series ''Loki''. Early life and education Di Martino was born in Nottingham and grew up in the suburb of ...
,
Gugu Mbatha-Raw Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha-Raw (; born 21 April 1983) is a British actress who is known for her performances on stage and screen. In 2017 she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama ...
,
Wunmi Mosaku Oluwunmi Mosaku (born 1986) is a Nigerian-born British actress. She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries ''Moses Jones'' (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series '' Vera'' (2011–2012). She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best S ...
,
Eugene Cordero Eugene Cordero is an American actor, writer, and comedian. Frequently appearing in comedic roles, he has been featured as a series regular on the comedies ''Other Space'' (2015), ''Bajillion Dollar Propertie$'' (2017–2019), ''Tacoma FD'' (2019 ...
,
Sasha Lane Sasha Bianca Lane (born September 29, 1995) is an American actress. She made her film debut in ''American Honey'' (2016), directed by Andrea Arnold, before portraying Hunter C-20 in the first season of the Disney+ television series ''Loki'', set ...
,
Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (née Charendoff; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as ''The New Batman Adventures ...
, and
Owen Wilson Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and ''The Royal ...
also starring. Herron joined the series in August 2019. Filming took place at
Pinewood Atlanta Studios Trilith Studios is an American film and television production studio located south of Atlanta in Fayette County, Georgia. Originally known as Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the studio has been used to produce many films and television programs, particu ...
, with location filming in the
Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...
. "The Variant" was released on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
on June 16, 2021. Critics praised the episode's twist ending.


Plot

Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
joins a
Time Variance Authority The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chronicoms, based on the lower-ran ...
(TVA) mission to the site of an attack by the fugitive variant of him in 1985
Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...
. They find that TVA Hunter C-20 has been kidnapped, but Loki derails the mission by stalling and attempting to bargain his way into immediately meeting the Time-Keepers, who supposedly created the TVA and the Sacred Timeline. He also requests assurances that he will not be killed after the Variant is caught. TVA analyst
Mobius M. Mobius Mobius Mobius Mobius is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Various versions of Mobius from different points in time (and clones of him) make up the bureaucratic leadership and middle management of ...
realizes that Loki is lying about the Variant being nearby, so the TVA resets this branched timeline. Back at TVA headquarters, TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer objects to Loki's involvement, but Mobius convinces her to give Loki another chance. After researching TVA files and learning of
Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
's Ragnarok, Loki theorizes that the Variant is hiding near-apocalyptic events where they can go undetected by the TVA because nothing they do can change the timeline there. Loki and Mobius prove this possibility by visiting
Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
in 79 AD, where Loki warns locals about the coming eruption of Mount Vesuvius without changing the timeline. Using a clue previously garnered from 1549
Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...
following one of the Variant's attacks, Loki and Mobius deduce that the Variant is hiding during a hurricane in 2050
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. At superstore Roxxcart's hurricane shelter, Loki, Mobius, and TVA agents are ambushed by the Variant, who uses enchantment to possess the bodies of
Hunter B-15 Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
and other locals. While Loki engages the Variant, the other agents find a distressed C-20, who reveals she had disclosed the Time-Keepers' location. The Variant is revealed as a female incarnation of Loki and rejects his offer to overthrow the Time-Keepers together. Instead, she activates and sends several stolen time reset charges to various locations and points along the Sacred Timeline, creating numerous new branched timelines and throwing the TVA into disarray. She teleports away, with Loki following her.


Production


Development

By September 2018,
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
was developing a limited series starring
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...
's
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films. ''Loki'' was confirmed to be in development by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
CEO
Bob Iger Robert Allen Iger (; born February 10, 1951) is an American businessman who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company. He previously served as the President of ABC Television between 1994 and 1995 and the President and Ch ...
in November.
Kate Herron Kate Herron (born 1987/1988) is an English director, writer, and producer. She is known for her female-led comedies. She directed and executive produced the first season of the Disney+ series ''Loki''. Career Herron began her career writing a ...
was hired to direct the series in August 2019. Herron and
head writer A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy o ...
Michael Waldron Michael Waldron (born April 23, 1987) is an American screenwriter and producer known for his work on television series ''Rick and Morty'' and '' Heels'', as well as creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe series '' Loki'' and writing the script ...
executive produce alongside Hiddleston and Marvel Studios'
Kevin Feige Kevin Feige ( ; born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer who has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise since 2007. The films he has produced have a combin ...
,
Louis D'Esposito Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
,
Victoria Alonso Victoria Alonso (born 22 December 1965) is an Argentine film producer and President of Physical, Post Production, VFX and Animation at Marvel Studios. Early life and career Alonso was born in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. She mov ...
, and Stephen Broussard. The second episode, titled "The Variant", was written by Elissa Karasik. "The Variant" was released on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
on June 16, 2021.


Writing

Owen Wilson Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and ''The Royal ...
spoke to the growing friendship between
Mobius M. Mobius Mobius Mobius Mobius is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Various versions of Mobius from different points in time (and clones of him) make up the bureaucratic leadership and middle management of ...
and Loki, saying although the relationship is "bumpy", it was "well-earned in that they really sort of put each other through things that are grueling and upsetting" and both have a mutual admiration for the other. Hiddleston added that Mobius is able to confront Loki "without judgment or without any kind of emotional investment" and challenge him intellectually. Their relationship is also one built on information, as Loki has insight to the Variant, while Mobius can give Loki information on the
Time Variance Authority The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Chronicoms, based on the lower-ran ...
(TVA). Revealing
Sophia Di Martino Sophia Di Martino (born 15 November 1983) is an English actress known for portraying Sylvie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series ''Loki''. Early life and education Di Martino was born in Nottingham and grew up in the suburb of ...
as the Variant in the episode was Waldron's way to continue "building the thrill ride" of the series since her introduction would "reshuffle the deck of the show" moving forward. Herron felt "The Variant" was the first chapter of the series, after "
Glorious Purpose "Glorious Purpose" is the first episode of the first season of the American television series '' Loki'', based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Loki. It follows an alternate version of the character who is arrested by the mysterious T ...
" acted more as a prologue. An early outline for the episode had proposed showing more of what the Variant did on the timeline so the TVA would search for her, but Marvel wanted the focus to remain on Loki.


Casting

The episode stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Sophia Di Martino as the Variant,
Gugu Mbatha-Raw Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha-Raw (; born 21 April 1983) is a British actress who is known for her performances on stage and screen. In 2017 she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama ...
as Ravonna Renslayer,
Wunmi Mosaku Oluwunmi Mosaku (born 1986) is a Nigerian-born British actress. She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries ''Moses Jones'' (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series '' Vera'' (2011–2012). She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best S ...
as
Hunter B-15 Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
,
Eugene Cordero Eugene Cordero is an American actor, writer, and comedian. Frequently appearing in comedic roles, he has been featured as a series regular on the comedies ''Other Space'' (2015), ''Bajillion Dollar Propertie$'' (2017–2019), ''Tacoma FD'' (2019 ...
as Casey,
Sasha Lane Sasha Bianca Lane (born September 29, 1995) is an American actress. She made her film debut in ''American Honey'' (2016), directed by Andrea Arnold, before portraying Hunter C-20 in the first season of the Disney+ television series ''Loki'', set ...
as Hunter C-20,
Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (née Charendoff; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as ''The New Batman Adventures ...
as the voice of Miss Minutes, and Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius. Also appearing are Neil Ellice as Hunter D-90, comedian
Kate Berlant Kate Elizabeth Méndez Berlant (born 1987) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Her stand-up comedy and improvisational work are often surrealist and absurdist. Early life Kate Elizabeth Méndez Berlant was born in Los Angeles in 1987 ...
as the Ren Faire Woman, and several actors playing bystanders who are controlled by the Variant: Lucius Baston as a male shopper, Austin Freeman as Randy, and Hawk Walts as a country hoss. Herron, a comedy fan, was looking to find comedians who would be fun to include in the series, and approached Berlant to appear; Berlant agreed, believing the role sounded "really fun".


Filming and visual effects

Filming took place at
Pinewood Atlanta Studios Trilith Studios is an American film and television production studio located south of Atlanta in Fayette County, Georgia. Originally known as Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the studio has been used to produce many films and television programs, particu ...
in
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, with Herron directing, and
Autumn Durald Arkapaw Autumn Cheyenne Durald Arkapaw (born December 14, 1979) is an American cinematographer. Biography Durald grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended Loyola Marymount University and studied art history. After graduating she worked in adver ...
serving as cinematographer. Location filming took place in the
Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...
, including at the
Atlanta Marriott Marquis The Atlanta Marriott Marquis is a 47-story, Marriott hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the 15th tallest skyscraper in the city. The building was designed by Atlanta architect John C. Portman Jr. with construction completed in 19 ...
, which was used for the TVA's headquarters, and a vacant discount store in Georgia for Roxxcart.
David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. His films, mostly psychological thrillers and biographical dramas, have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for him as Best Director. Fin ...
was an influence on the series for Herron and Arkapaw; the approach they took to filming Loki reading through files during the episode was a reference to ''
Seven 7 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 7 or seven may also refer to: * AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era * 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era * The month of July Music Artists * Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...
'' (1995). Herron hoped to make the various locations in history feel grounded and not "glossy". For example, she chose to make the
Renaissance fair A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire or Renaissance festival is an outdoor gathering open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which purportedly recreates a historical setting for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent the ...
"muddy" opposed to the "shiny, bubblegum version" of the 1980s, and the Roxxcart store in 2050 a reminder of the horrors of apocalypses, such as global warming. Herron felt Roxxcart, which is set in 2050, was a fun way to continue the series' dark sense of humor by showing extremely expensive products as a result of inflation. However, Pompeii was heightened since it was from Loki's perspective and the location was used to show him solving where the Variant was hiding. Hunter B-15 taking Loki's knives away from him was one of the final moments shot for the series. As Mosaku, Wilson, and Hiddleston rehearsed the moment, they were able to figure out the perfect timing that was needed. Ryan Parker of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' felt Loki seeing the Variant transferring her powers among people by touching them was a direct homage to the film ''
Fallen Fallen may refer to: People * Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist * Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Fallen ( ...
'' (1998), which features a similar scene and sequence. When the Variant possesses Hunter B-15 in this sequence, Mosaku based her performance on Hiddleston's since the audience did not know that the Variant was not "classic Loki" at that point. She said the sequence was filmed over many days. The production break because of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
allowed Herron to adjust some of the material that had already been shot to help with the series' tone. Some of the new material added once production resumed included "bits from the TVA" such as Loki and Mobius' chat about religion and Loki's salad metaphor for his theory on the apocalypses. On the Roxxcart set, Arkapaw used overhead cool, white fluorescent lights which had "kind of a green kick"; Fincher also utilized green undertones in his films. She created a color correction lookup-table to help give the set its "clinical" tone. The set location already had the fluorescent fixtures, with Arkapaw replacing the bulbs with RGB ones that gave her greater control of their functions, such as turning them on and off or switching their color. Also on this set, Arkapaw shot many of the scenes with the camera below the waist. She explained, "I'm just a bigger fan of seeing a ceiling than a floor. It's an appreciation I have, as far as it feeling more mysterious. When a character is looking more mysterious, and you're not trusting them, you're trying to figure them out, I love that kind of framing." Blue screen was used at the ends of the aisle to make them appear longer than they were on the set. Before the reveal of the Variant as a female version of Loki, Herron used male and female stunt doubles for her appearances earlier in this episode and at the end of the last episode, to keep the audience guessing as to who the Variant was. Visual effects for the episode were created by Crafty Apes,
Method Studios Method Studios is a visual effects company launched in 1999 in Los Angeles, California with facilities in New York, Atlanta, Vancouver, San Francisco, Melbourne, Montreal, and Pune. The company provides production and post-production services in ...
,
Cantina Creative Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
,
Luma Pictures Luma Pictures is a visual effects studio with facilities in Santa Monica, California and Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 2002 by Payam Shohadai and Jonathan R. Beutel, the company is best known for their creatures, environments, and effects. His ...
,
Rodeo FX Rodeo FX is a visual effects company involved in projects in the film, television and advertising industry. The company currently has studios in Montreal, Quebec City, Munich and Los Angeles. History Rodeo FX was founded in 2006 in Montreal, Ca ...
,
FuseFX FuseFX is a motion picture special visual effects (VFX) company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Their creative studios include FuseFX, Folks VFX, Rising Sun Pictures and El Ranchito. Established in 2006, the company develops visual ...
, and Rise.


Music

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
's " Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068" is featured in the episode, an additional reference from Herron to ''Seven'' since it was also featured in that film. Also used in the episode was
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's "18 Morceaux, Op. 72: No. 2. Berceuse" performed by
theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
player
Clara Rockmore Clara Reisenberg Rockmore (9 March 1911 – 10 May 1998) was a Lithuanian classical violin prodigy and a virtuoso performer of the theremin, an electronic musical instrument. She was the sister of pianist Nadia Reisenberg. Life and career Early ...
and her sister,
pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
Nadia Reisenberg Nadia Reisenberg Sherman (14 July 1904 – 10 June 1983) was an American pianist of Lithuanian birth. Biography Nadia Reisenberg was born in Vilnius to a Jewish family. Her parents were Aaron and Rachel Reisenberg., adapted from Dr. Anne K. Gray' ...
; this track was on the playlist Herron had created when she presented her pitch for the series and the theremin was one of the instruments she and series' composer
Natalie Holt Natalie Ann Holt is a British composer who has worked on numerous film and television projects. She is primarily recognised for her work on several notable productions, including ''Paddington (film), Paddington'' (2014) and ''Loki (TV series), L ...
were drawn to for the score of the series. "
Holding Out for a Hero "Holding Out for a Hero" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for the soundtrack to the 1984 film ''Footloose''. It later featured on her sixth studio album, ''Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire'' (1986). The track was produced by Jim S ...
" by
Bonnie Tyler Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...
is also featured at the beginning of the episode. After its appearance in the episode, "Holding Out for a Hero" topped ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s Top TV Songs chart in partnership with
Tunefind Tunefind is an American music search website which helps to find music featured in television series and movies. Users can suggest songs related to TV show or movie. If approved, song will be listed on that page. The songs' accuracy depends on ...
for June 2021. The song had 4.5 million U.S. on-demand streams and 4,000 downloads, according to
MRC Data Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
.


Marketing

After the episode's release, Marvel announced merchandise inspired by the episode as part of its weekly "Marvel Must Haves" promotion for each episode of the series, including
Funko Pop Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures licensed and limited pop culture collectibles, best known for its licensed vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces licensed plush, action figures, apparel, accessori ...
s of Ravonna Renslayer, Miss Minutes, and Hunter B-15, a Loki
Hot Toys Hot Toys Limited is a Hong Kong production house for designing, developing, and manufacturing highly detailed collectible merchandise to worldwide markets. Established in 2000 in Hong Kong (with its current headquarters in Kwun Tong District), the ...
Cosbaby figure, apparel, and accessories. Marvel also released a promotional poster for "The Variant", which featured a quote from the episode.


Reception


Audience viewership

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
, who measure the number of minutes watched by United States audiences on television sets, listed ''Loki'' as the most-watched original streaming series for the week of June 14 to 20, 2021. 886 million minutes were viewed across the available first two episodes, which was a 21% increase over the previous week.


Critical response

The
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported a 95% approval rating with an average score of 7.7/10 based on 37 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Following an exposition-heavy premiere it's a little surprising how much table-setting "The Variant" has to do, but one swift twist quickly thrusts the story into hyperdrive."
Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He th ...
at ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' felt after the set-up for the series required in the first episode, "The Variant" allowed the series to "settle into" being "a time-traveling cop show". Sepinwall hoped this would not be the entirety of the series, and believed by the end of the episode it would only be one aspect of ''Loki''. He felt the Roxxcart sequence was "more sluggish than tense at times" but introducing Di Martino suggested "some fun times are ahead". The production design of the TVA continued to be a standout for Sepinwall, calling it the "most impressive part of the whole show". Giving the episode a 7 out of 10, Siddhant Adlakha from ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' said the series' comedy moments continued to be "on point", while "its dramatic conceit still feels half-baked". Like Sepinwall, he felt the series was establishing its tone, stating between the various settings, costumes, and actor timings and movements, ''Loki'' felt like "a hybrid between police procedural and workplace sitcom", comparing some of Loki's scenes learning in the TVA to the ''
Team Thor ''Team Thor'' is a series of American direct-to-video mockumentary short films produced by Marvel Studios, featuring characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Initially released from 2016 to 2018, they were included as special featur ...
'' mockumentary short films. The scenes at Roxxcart saw the various actors playing the Variant "chewing scenery in delightful fashion" which was "incredibly goofy, in the best possible way". Adlakha added that this scene "leans into self-aware horror, but it also establishes how minuscule Loki's scheme to dethrone the Time Keepers actually is, compared to the Variant's plan". Reviewing the episode for ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'', Caroline Siede believed it was "kind of funny" that ''
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' is an American television miniseries created by Malcolm Spellman for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Sam Wilson / Falcon and Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. ...
'' had been described as a "buddy cop show" when that description was more fitting for ''Loki'' since Hiddleston and Wilson had a "much more interesting dynamic". "The Variant" did a better job of establishing the series' premise than the premiere episode did according to Siede, although it still had a lot of exposition and less subversive humor as the premiere. The lengthy dialogue scenes, particularly Loki and Mobius' that started about jet skis and ended about the nature of existence, were a highlight since it made all of the characters "feel more lived-in". For Siede, Di Martino's reveal confirmed the series would be "full of twists and reveals", and seeing the Variant blow up the Sacred Timeline was "an exhilarating cliffhanger" that suggested the series would not simply have a procedural structure and had yet to reveal who would actually be the heroes and villains. Siede gave the episode a "B+". In a recap of the episode, Andy Welch of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called the onscreen chemistry between Hiddleston and Wilson the series' "greatest strength", saying their "cat-and-mouse relationship" was reminiscent of Frank Abagnale Jr and Carl Hanratty's in ''
Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American biographical crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams and James ...
'' (2002); Welch also opined that Loki's confrontation with the rogue variant of himself was "enjoyable, and brilliantly played by Hiddleston". Writing for ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Lauren Morgan said, "The second episode continues to be heavy on exposition, which is a little concerning since there are only six of them, but the surprise at the end of this one promises to kick the plot into high gear."


Notes


References


External links

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Episode recap
at
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