Credit: Inside the MagicIn a bombshell announcement, Marvel just set the official release dates for two upcoming shows on Disney+: Season 2 of the Tom Hiddleston-led Loki, and Season 1 of the Hawkeye spinoff series, Echo.
It’s a good time to be a Marvel fan, with the studio having recently released the critically-acclaimed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) as the second installment in the MCU’s Phase Five. The Captain Marvel (2019) sequel, The Marvels (2023), is also scheduled to land in theaters this November.
Big-screen cinematic releases aside, Marvel also has a jam-packed slate of upcoming Disney+ releases, which will roll out on the streaming service over the coming months. The first episode of Samuel L. Jackson’s Secret Invasion arrives in late June and will be followed by not one, but two highly-anticipated shows.
Hype is at an all-time high for the second season of Loki, which sees Hiddleston reprising his role as the fan-favorite God of Mischief alongside Owen Wilson, who plays TVA Agent Mobius M. Mobius, Sophia D. Martino who plays Sylvie, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who plays Ravonna, among others. Season 1 debuted on Disney+ in June 2021 and remains one of Marvel’s top-rated shows to date.
While story specifics remain unknown, Season 2’s central conflict was teased in a post-credits scene for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), which showed Loki and Mobius on the hunt for Kang (Jonathan Majors) variants across the Multiverse. Footage was also shown as a part of a Disney+ promo earlier this year, though a full trailer has yet to be released.
Filming on Season 2 wrapped in October 2022, and ever since, it’s been a nonstop guessing game for when the new episodes will roll out. Thankfully, after waiting patiently for updates, Disney+ finally gave fans an answer—and it’s much later than expected.
On Tuesday, Marvel took to social media to share the official Loki Season 2 release date: Friday, October 6. But that wasn’t all—in the same announcement, the studio also dropped the Disney+ release date for Echo, which will air closely after Loki on Wednesday, November 29. Check out the official confirmation below:
Marvel Studios🤝@DisneyPlus
A new season of #Loki starts streaming October 6, 2023.
All episodes of #Echo drop November 29, 2023. pic.twitter.com/jQq2xdbuiV— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) May 16, 2023
It’s easy to get distracted by the Loki Season 2 announcement, as plenty of buzz has surrounded the new episodes in recent months. From a months-long delay to the studio’s ongoing Kang problem, drama has become synonymous with the show’s sophomore season. Plus, it’s simply easier to get more eyes on a series led by Tom Hiddleston, who’s become a beloved addition to the MCU since his introduction in Thor (2011).
However, Echo could be equally important to the future of the MCU, especially ahead of the release of Thunderbolts (2024). Taking place before the events of Hawkeye, the series will explore the origin story of Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her before we see her as the master combatant and adoptive daughter of Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio).
Interestingly, Loki will follow a similar weekly release schedule to Season 1, but with new episodes arriving on Fridays instead of Wednesdays. This marks a change from the traditional Marvel Studios Wednesday release schedule, which could result from Disney and Marvel’s shift in content strategy amid the global financial crisis and now, the Hollywood writers’ strike.
In contrast, all episodes of Echo will release simultaneously on Wednesday, November 29 in an unexpected binge-release model. This makes sense, considering the story is a contained, one-off “miniseries,” unlike Loki, which has already significantly impacted the future of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. Still, the binge model is a new phenomenon for Marvel.
We’ve still got a while to go until Loki graces our screens again, and some fans might be disappointed by this significant delay. Still, Marvel fans will essentially get two new Disney+ shows back to back, with Loki Season 2’s 6-episode run estimated to reach its conclusion on November 10—just a little under two weeks before Echo premieres.
After waiting for what feels like years, getting an official release window for Loki and Echo is a welcome surprise. Only time will tell if each series can live up to audiences’ very high expectations.
Are you excited to stream Loki Season 2 and Echo on Disney+? Let us know in the comments below.