Why James Gunn Won't Direct Marvel's Loki Season 2

By Jamie Lovett

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn won't be extending his stay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by directing the upcoming second season of Loki on Disney+. The hit series needs a new helmer as Kate Herron, who worked on the first season, isn't returning in the show's sophomore outing. Someone on Twitter who is a fan of both Gunn and Loki tweeted at Gunn to gauge his interest in taking over for Herron. Gunn responded, showing appreciation for the thought but ultimately making it clear he wouldn't be involved. "That's very nice but my hands are kind of full and I'm sure Loki will find the right director to follow in Kate's footsteps!" Gunn tweeted.

Herron explained that six episodes were always her plan when news of her departure broke, implying she never discussed a second season with Marvel. "I'm not returning," Herron told Deadline. "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."

She later explained that they treated Loki as if it was a singular film. "I would say that when I joined Loki, it was always going to be those six episodes. We were treating it like a movie, and we were running it like a movie. We weren't doing it in the showrunner system," Herron told The Hollywood Reporter. "So it was a lot to direct these six episodes, and I gave it all of my energy and everything I had in my soul and in my heart. I threw everything I loved about Marvel at it. So I always intended just to do these six."

Loki stars Tom Hiddleston as an alternate universe version of the titular Avengers villain. After the Time Variance Authority captures him, Loki becomes tangled up in questions about destiny when he discovers that a great authority keeps the universe's flow under their control. Michael Waldron is the creator and head writer of the series.

What do you think? Would you like to see James Gunn direct Loki? Let us know in the comments. Loki's first season is streaming now on Disney.

Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images

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