Loki director Kate Herron confirms she will not return for Loki season 2. Marvel Studios' third Disney+ series brought Tom Hiddleston back as the god of mischief after Avengers: Endgame. The six-episode first season followed in the footsteps of WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier of being very well received, but Loki's ending managed to stick the landing better than its predecessors. This could be because the show wasn't setting up a future movie but rather a second season.

There were rumors of Loki season 2 happening for some time, but Marvel Studios waited until Loki's post-credits scene to confirm the news. The brief tag put a new spin on Marvel's practice of confirming characters will return in future projects, as a Time Variance Authority stamp said "Loki will return in season 2." Tom Hiddleston is officially returning for the series for the next batch of episodes, and other cast members like Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatah-Raw, and Wunmi Mosaku should be back as well.

Related: How Loki’s Finale Sets Up Season 2

One person involved with Loki who won't be back for season 2, though, is director Kate Herron. The director helmed all six episodes of Loki's first season and stayed involved with the show throughout its extended production period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Herron confirmed in a statement to Deadline that her time with Loki is done and she won't be back for season 2.

I’m not returning. I always planned to be just on for this and to be honest, season 2 wasn’t in the — that’s something that just came out and I’m so excited. I’m really happy to watch it as a fan next season, but I just think I’m proud of what we did here and I’ve given it my all. I’m working on some other stuff yet to be announced.

A folder showing a stamp saying Loki will return in season 2

Herron's departure for Loki season 2 marks the first major creative change for the MCU show's future. She did an excellent job with all aspects of the series, so whoever is brought aboard to replace her will have a high bar to match. The fact that this decision is already made could be a sign of how fast Marvel wants to move on the next season. Although Herron is not returning for Loki season 2, she isn't discounting the possibility of returning to the MCU later on. She mentioned in this interview that she loves working with Marvel and would love to do so again if the right project comes up.

Since Herron directed all six episodes of Loki's first season, there are no obvious candidates to step in and tackle season 2. It will also be fascinating to see if Marvel sticks with the single-director approach for season 2 or utilizes several filmmakers. Other Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian and Marvel's upcoming Ms. Marvel series used multiple directors to varying degrees. Loki season 2 could take that approach to lessen the burden on a single creator and give the next season a completely different feel. Head writer Michael Waldron is expected to be involved in Loki season 2 in some capacity too, so at least the show's main creative team won't entirely change.

MORE: Everything We Know About Loki Season 2

Source: Deadline

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