Loki Season 2, set to release on Disney+ this October, has generated significant buzz as details about its massive budget were recently unveiled. Following its successful run back in the summer of 2021, the show is making a highly anticipated comeback, featuring Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as the mischievous God of Mischief. Alongside a captivating ensemble of supporting characters, the series delves into the complexities of time within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The newly released trailer for Loki Season 2 has left fans excited, showcasing breathtaking sci-fi action sequences, numerous Variants of Jonathan Majors’ Kang, and even a colossal Kaiju-sized Miss Minutes. The mind-bending plot promises to take viewers on a thrilling journey through time and dimensions.
However, this second season arrives amidst some streaming turbulence at Disney, as the company is taking measures to tighten its budget after years of extensive spending. As they aim to reduce costs, Loki Season 2 remains a key project for the streaming platform, and fans are eager to see how the story unfolds and how the production value matches up to the previous season’s high standards.
Loki Season 2’s Massive Cost
According to a recent report from Forbes, the highly anticipated second season of “Loki” on Disney+ has incurred a substantial cost for the entertainment giant. The upcoming series, starring Tom Hiddleston, has accumulated a budget of $141.3 million to produce its six episodes, amounting to an impressive $23.5 million per episode.
Comparatively, another Marvel Studios production for Disney+, “Secret Invasion,” boasted an even larger budget of $212 million. This high cost can be attributed to the extensive four-month-long reshoot schedule undertaken for the show.
It’s worth noting that back in 2019, during the launch of Disney+, it was revealed that the streaming giant was willing to allocate budgets as high as $25 million per episode for these superhero-themed streaming series. However, in light of Disney’s recent cost-cutting measures, these budgets have seemingly been adjusted.
For perspective, Lucasfilm’s “Andor” currently holds the top spot on Disney+’s production budget charts, with an estimated cost of $250 million for its twelve-episode first season, equating to approximately $20.8 million per episode.
When comparing Disney’s Star Wars streaming efforts to its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series, “Loki” Season 2 comes in close to the reported budget for “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which amounted to $150 million at $25 million per episode.
These budgets surpass the reported cost of producing the first two seasons of “The Mandalorian” on the streaming platform, as well as its spin-off series “The Book of Boba Fett.” The budget for “The Mandalorian” Season 1 was confirmed to be around $100 million, averaging $12.5 million per episode. While the exact budgets for “The Mandalorian” Season 2 and “Boba Fett” have not been officially disclosed, it is believed that they were in the same range of around $12.5 million per episode.
Overall, Disney’s commitment to producing high-quality streaming content is evident, as demonstrated by the substantial budgets invested in these popular series. Fans can look forward to more thrilling and visually stunning episodes of “Loki” and other highly anticipated Disney+ shows in the future.
The State of Disney’s Streaming Budgets
The budgetary landscape for Disney’s streaming shows, particularly Marvel and Star Wars projects, has been a subject of much discussion. While it has been acknowledged that streaming budgets were initially high, there has been anticipation about the eventual impact of cost reductions. However, as of now, the actual results of these measures have not been fully evident or significant.
For instance, the upcoming Secret Invasion series still boasts a considerable budget, surpassing that of some big-screen blockbusters. Similarly, the second season of Loki is being funded at a level similar to the budgetary norms of previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) shows under Disney’s previous leadership.
Even the highly anticipated Star Wars shows like Skeleton Crew and Acolyte are coming with hefty price tags. The Acolyte, in particular, has already incurred a reported $49.2 million in pre-production expenses. This amount exceeds the budget spent on the theatrically released Rogue One: A Star Wars Story during the same period of its development.
Fans might wonder when these cost reductions will truly take effect. The change may become apparent when some of the previously announced Disney+ projects, which are already well into production or development, start to be released. It is anticipated that with the debut of these projects, a gradual dip in production spending will begin to occur.
For instance, upcoming Marvel shows like Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Ironheart, and Daredevil: Born Again could potentially see the effects of the budgetary changes initiated by Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger. However, it’s possible that these series were too far along in their development for the cost-reduction measures to have a significant impact on their budgets. Only time will reveal the true extent of the changes and their implications for the future of Disney’s streaming projects.
Loki Season 2 is due out on Disney+ on October 6.
