The first home entertainment release for a Disney+ exclusive series, Loki, is a home run that proves why these kind of releases only benefit the shows themselves.
At long last, Disney/Marvel is giving their streaming series physical releases in 4K. It all kicks off this week with the first season of Loki (timed to get people prepared for season two’s imminent debut). If this is an indicator for how the rest of the series’ transfers will go, we’re definitely heading in the right direction.
I’m not going to sit here and rehash the first season of Loki (which consists of six episodes). If you weren’t already on board with the season, I’m not sure another viewing is going to dramatically change your mind.
Loki: The Complete First Season
Directed By: Kate Herron
Writers: Michael Waldron, Elissa Karasik, Bisha K. Ali, Eric Martin, Tom Kauffman
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Purchase [Affiliate Link]: https://amzn.to/3t7Znvw
I will say that Loki was, and remains, my favorite Marvel TV series to date. Ms. Marvel comes close based off the pure charm and fun factor involved. Loki, however, manages to take all the best elements of the films, combine it with some stellar character work, an engaging story, and impressive visuals. It’s just an impressive series that manages to sit alongside Marvel’s best stuff, big screen or small.
It’s also one of the only D+ series (outside of Star Wars stuff) I’ve watched more than once. With the launch of the 4K Ultra HD and the upcoming second season, I was more than happy to have an excuse to watch it all again.
The show continues to hold up, even upon multiple viewings, but I was blown away by the 4K transfer. Don’t get me wrong, the show has always looked impressive. There’s some neat visual details when it comes to them exploring other worlds/timelines. The Void from the penultimate 5th episode is filled with all manner of things to look out for, along with a visually stunning finale featuring “Classic” Loki (Richard E. Grant).
All of this was a treat for the eyes on Disney+. Even with a great internet connection, streaming media just doesn’t quite reach the same level of picture quality. By it’s very nature, streaming from a server requires a level of compression on the video. This means streaming in 4K rarely equals to watching something in 4K.
By and large, it’s not a huge issue and rarely causes a problem when it comes to viewing/enjoying a streaming show. Even so, the physical 4K disc allows for a superior image quality…and my God, Loki looks insanely good. The 4K transfer highlights all the impressive work from the show, keeping the image crystal clear, and letting those colors pop on the screen.
While I would never really suggest to buy a disc off the technical aspects alone, it’s nice to know they are incredibly well handled here. There’s no phoning it in here; which, to be honest Disney could have easily done considering how ravenous fans have been for physical releases.
On top of the main episodes, there are also a handful of bonus features for fans to enjoy as well:
The Official TVA Orientation Video–Miss Minutes explains the inner workings of the TVA timeline in her orientation video.
Gag Reel–Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of LokiSeason 1.
Deleted Scene: Loki’s Coronation–Mobius reviews some moments from Loki’s timeline, in which Frog Thor makes an appearance during Loki’s coronation.
Deleted Scene: The Standoff–Loki holds Sylvie hostage against the TVA in a standoff.
Assembled: The Making of Loki–Loki explores the series centering on the MCU’s chief mischief maker.
These are you pretty typical special features, but getting some deleted scenes, along with the full Making Of special (that was also a Disney+ exclusive) adds a lot of bang for your buck. Combine that with the gorgeous steelbook presentation, which includes some mini-concept art pieces, and you’ve got a release fans and physical media enthusiasts will love.
Disney’s first foray into bringing their streaming series to the physical format sets an appropriately high bar. If you were worried how these shows would make the jump, you can go ahead and set those aside. On top of getting a great series in a great looking way, the Loki release had left me more excited than ever for The Mandalorian releases.
