Even before the pandemic-breaking records of Black Widow, 2021 has already been an insane ride for Marvel Studios. In the first half of the year alone, Disney+ has released three full series in WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and as of yesterday, Loki.
The Tom-Hiddleston series starring the titular God of Mischief has been hyped up for several reasons. One of them is that it is supposed to have the biggest impact on the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe than any other series so far. Now, according to Hiddleston himself, it looks like the "so far" part may end sooner than we realize.
Without giving away any spoilers, Episode 6 of Loki brought the season to a close by setting up and announcing an even crazier second season. The events surrounding the series and its "big bad" have major implications for many other movies and MCU projects in the future. Still, despite all of that, Tom Hiddleston seems to point at the next series, What If...?, as something that could potentially affect the wider universe even more than Loki.
"I am intrigued because I haven't seen the whole thing. And I know they've got everybody from the Marvel universe to voice their characters. And Jeffery Wright is playing this character called The Watcher, who is sort of an observer of all of these sort of things. And then it sets up a bunch of stuff in the MCU, which I [of course] know nothing about..."
Hiddleston made the comments while on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. With What If...? being the first animated series from Marvel Studios, many fans expected it to be more of a standalone ride. Still, as the actor is also voicing the character in that show, we have pretty good reason to believe that he knows what he's talking about.
Now, it is important to establish that it could be an elaborate game conjured by the weak to inspire... joy? Still, although Hiddleston plays a Trickster, that doesn't make him one himself. And with his extensive knowledge of the MCU compared to someone like Gwyneth Paltrow, who wasn't even aware Samuel L. Jackson played Nick Fury, we are inclined to believe him.
You can watch the full interview between Fallon and Hiddleston below, in which they also touch on the Loki series and its finale.
What do you guys make of these comments? Do you think Hiddleston is teasing something big or has the God of Blunder just had a slip of the tongue? Either way, be sure to share your thoughts in the usual spot.
If you have yet to see the trailer for What If...?, we've included that along with the synopsis and release information for you below.
Enter the multiverse of unlimited possibilities. What If… ? features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist.
Marvel Studios' first animated series, What If...?, starts streaming on August 11 with new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.