Trailer Breakdown: ‘Loki’

The newest trailer for “Loki” is as chaotic and intriguing as the beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe villain himself. The trailer begins with the opening of a rectangular portal and an elevator ding, as a very upset post-Battle of New York Loki (Tom Hiddleston) steps out, apprehended by a helmeted officer holding the Tesseract. A montage of a strangely-bureaucratic timekeeper headquarters, overlaid by eerie synth music and Loki’s eloquent insults towards his new captors, offers the first official introduction to the Time Variance Authority (TVA).

The atmospheric dissonance between this new fantastical world and the clinical feeling of its framework is broken by the introduction of Mobius (Owen Wilson), who has absolutely no time for Loki’s grievances. After some quick back-and forth, Mobius pulls the upper hand by comically pressing the TVA’s version of a eject button, making Loki fall through the floor into a grayscale office with a man, his cat, and a massive pile of papers he must “verify [that it] is everything [he’s] ever said,” with his most recent quip immediately added to the pile.

After an enticing look at a green and gold version of the Marvel Studios logo, Mobius, in explaining the situation to Loki, cleanly lays out for the audience exactly what this show is about. When the Avengers went back in time to get the Infinity Stones during the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” the 2012 version of Loki (prior to his questionable redemption arc in “Thor: Ragnarok”) got a hold of the Tesseract and escaped, breaking reality and splintering time in the process. Mobius enlists (read: forces) Loki to help the TVA clean up the multiverse mess he’s made.

Loki is, at first, not trusted with a weapon (a fair and sound decision). However, in the following scene compilation showing Loki on missions with TVA agents, the trickster wields a new pair of daggers (who’s to say if that means the TVA reverses their decision, or if Loki has simply stolen them from somewhere). This isn’t the only new weapon in Loki’s arsenal: In the briefest of scene cuts, Loki fires magical green blasts at an enemy — a power he’s never before shown in the MCU. During this sequence, Mobius confesses to trusting “this Loki variant,” leaving fans to wonder if the Lokis of other timelines will make an appearance, or even if the show’s starring Loki will have to fight another version of himself.

Mobius and Loki engage in more quips and battles of wits, so the show is sure to satisfy those that come looking for the titular character’s trademark sass. The final moments of the trailer are, yet again, a group of two second clips smashed together to grab the audience’s attention with intense fight choreography, mystical settings, and Loki looking dramatically into the distance in formal business wear. These final moments don’t tease too much, but most interestingly, there’s a scene of Loki on a plane where he bears an uncanny resemblance to D.B. Cooper, and another scene depicting Loki sitting on a very purple landscape talking to a mysterious woman. With the woman’s reddish hair and all-black outfit, several fans have speculated that it’s Black Widow on Vormir (where she had sacrificed herself to obtain the Soul Stone in “Avengers: Endgame”), but it's more likely that it is the infamous Lady Loki, a fan favorite of those familiar with the comic books who could easily fit into a multiverse storyline.

Other than confirming the premise of the show and proving the high production value, the two minute and 16 second trailer doesn’t reveal too much of the plot. However, it raises a plethora of questions, and the show is already noteworthy as the first installment of the MCU that really explores the multiverse’s potential post-“Avengers: Endgame.” Furthermore, Loki is an iconic fan favorite, and Marvel seems to trust any content that shows off the trickster — so much so that “Loki” was rumored for a second season six months before the first is set to air. Even if someone didn’t consider themselves a fan of Loki, his meddling with the multiverse is rumored to directly set up the upcoming “Dr. Strange 2: Multiverse of Madness,” meaning that “Loki” will become required viewing for the MCU’s Phase Four.

Love him or hate him, the fan anticipation for “Loki” is boundless, and the mysteries the trailer presents hint that the show has a solid chance of living up (and even surpassing) the growing hype. It won’t be difficult for Marvel to cement a passionate viewership for “Loki,” which is set to premiere on Disney+ on June 11.

—Staff writer Madi L. Fabber can be reached at madi.fabber@thecrimson.com.