Loki

This was one of the few Marvel projects that was better on a rewatch. Compared to everything else so far, especially since Endgame, Loki feels like one of the very few Marvel projects that respects the MCU, the characters it's showcasing, and the audience. It's a strange departure from everything we've seen so far, taking a well-known villain in Loki and making him the protagonist, as well as introducing the TVA, a setting and entity that completely flips the MCU on its head. All concept of time and place goes out the window, and Loki gives us a new perspective on every event up to this point. Loki is a bizarre and confusing show that often feels like it might be in over its head, but it never crosses that line. Despite the craziness and absurdity of the events on screen, Kate Herron manages to keep everything tidy and relatively easy to follow without holding the audience's hand. Since there are magical elements, some things have to be taken with a grain of salt, but there aren't nearly as many plot holes or unexplained aspects as there honestly should be. As messy as the multiverse can be, and has been in the MCU already, Loki handles it with ease while mixing in time travel. The different variants and time periods that are explored are really fun and add a bunch of chaos to the show. Everyone in every department was at the top of their game with Loki. This is easily the most visually sound project that Marvel has worked on. The set designs are fantastic and greatly appreciated. The TVA is absolutely stunning and unique, blending high-tech machines with the '50s/'60s aesthetic, which is really cool. The visual effects are impressive and creative, and really made me wonder what the heck the other series/movies were doing before this. Natalie Holt made one of the best superhero scores that really sticks with you after watching it. The performances are all great. Tom Hiddleston is one of the most underappreciated actors in the MCU, and he gets a lot of time to shine here. He's a fish out of water in this, and learning that his life is not what it seems. He does a great job, especially in the early episodes, in showing the more emotional aspects of his character. Owen Wilson in a superhero show is not something I knew I needed. Mobius is an extremely likeable character who brings a lot of heart to the show. Sophia di Martino's Sylvie is, obviously, very similar to Loki, especially how he was originally, but she puts her own spin on the character and has great chemistry with the rest of the cast. Everyone else is fantastic, as well. I had forgotten that season 2 of Loki gives a soft conclusion to Kang's storyline. The variants of him are still out there, but with the way things ended, they're loose enough that they could still bring him back if they wanted to, but also could easily make the decision to have the TVA take care of the rest of his variants. Loki was lots of fun to return to and is definitely one of the best things I've watched during this return to Marvel. It's amazing what good, competent writing, great acting, and a bunch of care can do. Lists: *Marvel Ranked & 2021 Ranked* Last Review: *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania*