Loki's Tom Hiddleston is a 'time detective' in new Disney Plus show

The upcoming series turns a joke from Loki into a National Geographic docudrama about the destruction of Pompeii

Loki’s Tom Hiddleston and executive producer Kevin R. Wright are reuniting for a new television project, but not the kind you’d probably expect. Basically, it seems that these two have been thinking a lot about the Roman Empire: Pompeii: Out of Time With Tom Hiddleston is a three-part docudrama about how the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD destroyed the city of Pompeii. It’s out on Disney Plus and Hulu on July 23 and will premiere on National Geographic on July 22.

In it, Hiddleston acts as a "time detective" who "with a twist of his hand [...] journeys back in time, stepping into cinematic scripted sequences following the lives of real Romans caught in Vesuvius’ path."

For those who don’t see the connection between the MCU star and the annihilation of this ancient city, the series is essentially a low-key reference to an episode from Loki season 1, in which the mischievous Asgardian journeys back to 79 AD to test a theory about time variance and near-apocalyptic events.

As for Pompeii: Out of Time, it will combine dramatized portrayals of real people who lived in Pompeii on the day of its destruction, based on findings from archaeologists, historians, geologists, and disaster experts. The series seems to address misconceptions about the disaster, particularly the idea that the volcanic eruption instantly killed everyone in the city. As the show’s press release puts it, “the series reframes Pompeii not as a story of destruction but as a human drama of resilience, sacrifice and survival, revealing the lives, choices and destinies of those who stood in the shadow of Vesuvius.”

The show will be split between investigative documentary sequences where Hiddleston speaks with experts to uncover the past, and historical recreations based on objects that three people, “a teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman, and a mysterious Praetorian Guard,” left behind.

Hiddleston is no stranger to antiquity. He studied Classics at the University of Cambridge, learning Ancient Greek and Latin.

“The ancient world has compelled my imagination and curiosity for as long as I can remember: I’ve been fascinated by it all my life,” said Hiddleston as part of the show’s press release. “Classical Antiquity is the foundation and cornerstone of Western and European culture. To visit Pompeii is to feel the distance of the 2,000 years between now and then compress. The past becomes the present; the past feels so close. Tangible, honest and real.”

While this series may have started as an extended reference to Loki, it appears that Hiddleston and the rest of those involved are quite committed.