SPOILER ALERT: This story includes significant plot developments from Season 2, Episode 4 of “Loki,” currently streaming on Disney+. When Eric Martin began writing the Season 1 finale of “Loki” (alongside then-head writer Michael Waldron), he had a feeling that the Marvel Studios show would continue with a second season. Martin said, “There were rumblings of that while still in the Season 1 writers room. It didn’t become certain until we were into COVID.” During the pandemic hiatus, Martin estimates that about a third of Season 1 had been filmed before the shutdown. It was during this time that Marvel Studios executive Kevin Wright approached Martin about becoming the head writer for Season 2. Martin recalls, “We started getting down to business about where to take the next half of the story.” This season reached a critical turning point in the recent episode, “Heart of the TVA,” where the temporal loom, the device that powers the TVA and controls the Sacred Timeline, explodes due to the stress of the branching multiverse. The resulting eruption seemingly engulfs Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his allies before the episode ends. This cataclysm was caused by Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), Loki’s variant, who killed He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in the Season 1 finale, leading to the creation of the multiverse. Martin describes this event by saying, “When dictators are overthrown and systems break down, chaos ensues. Problems arise in those situations that no one could have predicted because the system took care of them silently.” This chaos and the breaking point of both characters and the TVA itself are central themes in Season 2. Martin explores questions such as whether people and institutions can change and what happens when systems collapse and need rebuilding. He explains, “That’s what we’re looking at—chaos versus order, which is fitting because we’re dealing with a lot of chaos.” With Loki being the god of mischief, this dichotomy aligns with the show’s goal of deconstructing one of Marvel’s most beloved characters. Martin adds, “We’re bringing back some of that mischief from the old Loki, but he is still fighting for something bigger than himself. Reinvention and self-discovery are the overarching themes of our season.” Martin spoke with Variety about his approach to Season 2, his experience with the Marvel method, and the mysterious rule that informed his approach to the show. One significant addition Martin made to Season 2 was the character Ouroboros (OB), played by Ke Huy Quan. OB is a technician living in the lower depths of the TVA and is the head of the Repairs and Advances Department. Martin felt it was essential to explore the wider scope of the TVA as an institution. He took inspiration from his own engineer relatives and envisioned OB as a character who loves his work and is focused solely on the technical aspects of it. The concept of the temporal loom raised intriguing questions about the timeline before its existence. Martin wanted viewers to question its functioning and what He Who Remains told them about it. As for Season 2’s second significant addition, Victor Timely, Martin wanted to approach the character in a surprising and unconventional way. Victor Timely is a variant of He Who Remains living as an inventor in 19th century Chicago. Martin explains that rather than wrapping up the character’s story, he wanted to take a different direction. He describes Victor Timely as a con man in the vein of Nikola Tesla, someone who is ahead of their time and needs to deceive others to fund their projects. To manage the intricate storylines unfolding in Season 2, Martin took on the task of writing all six episodes himself because he wanted to maintain consistency. However, he collaborated with on-set writer Kathryn Blair for Episode 4. During the production, Martin contracted COVID-19, so production designer Kasra Farahani and his writing partner Jason O’Leary completed Episode 3, which Farahani directed. Although Martin was the head writer for Season 2 and was present on set, he was not the showrunner. Marvel Studios has historically approached its TV series in a manner resembling feature film production, with producers and directors having the final say instead of the writers. Wright, Benson, and Moorhead oversaw production logistics while Martin guided the writers room. Martin reflects on this by saying, “There’s a lot of Marvel’s machinery that’s making decisions that a showrunner might make. While I was involved in those decisions, I don’t have the final say.” Marvel recently decided to transition back to a traditional showrunner model for its TV productions, starting with “Daredevil: Born Again.” When asked about not being a showrunner on “Loki,” Martin responded positively, stating that he would love to have more control over everything, like anyone else would.
Unveiling the Mind-Blowing Cliffhanger: Episode 4’s Epic Ending Dissected by the Head Writer
