That last episode of Loki was a WILD ride that basically set up what else is to come in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Even though we know season two is in the works, we can’t help but want to know even MORE about the process of filming the inaugural season of the hit Marvel show!

Kate Herron, Loki‘s director, sat down with Variety to discuss what it was like to direct all six episodes of the show, the plotline that played out, and the fact she had to keep everything top secret.

If you haven’t seen the last episode of Loki, there are major spoilers for the show ahead!

Many fans (us included) have thought from the beginning that Kang the Conqueror would make an appearance in Loki. Since Jonathan Major had already been cast as the character in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, it only seemed fitting for his introduction to take place during the series. Of course, Kang wasn’t exactly what we thought, as he turned out to be a variant of the character. He Who Remains revealed that he was in control of the TVA before Sylvie prematurely killed him off and spurred the creation of many, MANY branched timelines and multiverses.

Herron said that, even though it was difficult to keep secret, “Nothing has prepared me better for working with Marvel than playing tabletop games with my friends. It definitely taught me how to have a good poker face. You have to hide your hand — and sometimes lie.” But, Herron got to take things a step further with Loki as she was able to help participate in the casting of Jonathan Majors in the role of Kang beyond the show as well.

Herron and head writer Michael Waldron already plotted that the audience would meet He Who Remains and see the multiverse form at the end of the show. Yet, Majors took his role even further by voicing the three Timekeepers as the androids behind the big TVA curtain is a call to the Wizard of Oz. Herron recalled, “We didn’t have someone cast for those voices. I remember thinking, well, ‘Wizard of Oz’ is clearly a reference for us. We should have the wizard. It’d be great if it’s Jonathan. So we sent him all the art of the Timekeepers. And he just kind of came up with these incredible voices for each of them.”

However, one of the parts of Loki that plenty of fans couldn’t predict was that AWESOME (but frustrating, in a good way) cliffhanger. After Mobius and Hunter B-15 don’t recognize him, Loki realizes that he has been pushed into an alternate timeline where Kang is the ruler. Herron noted that the cliffhanger wasn’t always part of the plan, though. She said, “When I started, there wasn’t a discussion of Season 2, exactly. It was just that season of ‘Loki.’ As we got deeper into production, everyone was very happy, and obviously there’s so much to explore with Loki. It felt like we should continue the story. So I think the cliffhanger ending came in later in the process.”

If you rewatch the scene closely, you can find hints placed throughout the TVA by Herron to show that Loki is in a different timeline. The sets were redressed to look slightly strange compared to the TVA we’ve seen previously, and Casey the receptionist is a hunter walking to the armory instead. Of course, there’s that final moment when Mobius says “Who are you?” to Loki, as a bookend to when the same question is the first spoken line in the show. After all, Loki has really been about Loki’s own self-discovery.

While Herron has stated that Loki was an incredibly fulfilling experience, she’ll be stepping down as the director for season 2 to watch the show as a fan like the rest of us. But, you can read ALL of her behind-the-scenes details about the characters, plot, filming, and more here!

And, we can’t WAIT to see what season two has in store for all of us! In the meantime, though, you can stay tuned with All Ears for the latest Disney and Marvel entertainment and news coming soon!

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What was your favorite episode of Loki? Let us know in the comments below!