Tomorrow, Disney+ drops the second episode of its latest hit Marvel Cinematic Universe small-screen spin-off, Loki.
If the series’ absurdist streak seems familiar for fans of another time-and-space-spanning show, Rick and Morty, that’s no accident. Loki‘s creator and head writer is Michael Waldron, a veteran of the beloved animated series.
All involved in the show, including Marvel Studios’ president, are fans, which helped get the ball rolling. “Kevin Feige loves the show, so that certainly worked in my favor,” Waldron tells ABC Audio.
Additionally, he snarks, “Marvel has a long history of success with Dan Harmon-poached talent.”
Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed four Marvel hits, including Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, worked with Rick and Morty co-creator Harmon on the NBC comedy Community.
Waldron adds that a time travel screenplay he wrote landed on the hot-script list in Hollywood known as the Black List, “and [all of that] was what got me in the door to start pitching.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)
He says he had to adjust his approach from the toon to write for the God of Mischief, but star Tom Hiddleston made that easy. “I think maybe out the gate, I was trying to step on the gas of the comedy, perhaps too much,” Waldron recalled with a laugh during a recent press conference. “I had to recalibrate and shift this thing to a more dramatic place.”
Waldron adds, “That’s the great thing about this character, is you don’t have to write jokes. Loki is going to make regular exchanges funny and fun…So we just trusted Tom to do all the work.”
Meanwhile, season 5 of Rick and Morty starts June 20 on Adult Swim.
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