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Matthew Berry, ESPN’s MCU Easter Egg, Previews Disney+’s “Loki” Premiering Today

How crucial was Berry's Avengers: Endgame cameo as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to this spinoff? ESPN's Fantasy expert provides answers - and a spoiler alert - here

Matthew Berry is one of the industry’s leading voices on Fantasy Football, and he’s also hugely passionate about fantasy of another genre – Marvel comics and the blockbuster films of the past decade-and-a-half.

In 2019, Berry made a cameo appearance in Avengers: Endgame, one of the most popular and highest-grossing films of all time. Playing the role of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent., Berry appeared alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

His scene is the pivotal launch point for Marvel Studios’ new series Loki, debuting today on Disney+, as actor Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as the God of Mischief and brother of Thor.

While Berry continues to host weekly podcasts and contribute to multiple ESPN Fantasy platforms in preparation for the football season, he previewed the “Loki” series and spoke with Front Row about his affinity for Marvel.

Do Marvel fans have you to thank for this new Disney+ series after your character let Loki slip away in Endgame?
In fairness, I really think they should thank the Hulk. If it wasn’t for his door slam, Tony [Stark, aka IronMan] doesn’t lose the case with the Tesseract, and then Loki can escape.

But, I will say this: The clearance department from Marvel did have to reach out to get my approval to use my scene in Avengers for the Loki series. And, as you note, that scene is the premise for the start of the entire series.

So if I didn’t sign, they can’t use the scene, and if they can’t use the scene, there’s no series, so in a way, yes, I am completely to thank for the Loki series.

What was the best part of your Avengers experience?
All of it. Probably the best non-wife, non-kid experience of my life. I absolutely loved the experience of shooting it. Hanging with [actors] Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Redford, Tom Hiddleston, [producers] Joe and Anthony Russo, and the entire crew for two days, they really made me feel welcome and brought me in.

They were so incredibly kind and warm. Being able to talk about it and, as a huge fan of Marvel, I love the fact that for the rest of my life, I am a member of the MCU. A minor member, to be sure, but I’m in there. It’s been really fun having fans send screenshots and talking with other Marvel fans about the movies and projects. Just an absolute thrill to be a small part of that world.

Do you have any fun anecdotes from sharing a scene with Hiddleston?
I had a really nice moment with Tom. The week we shot the scene was the week after Thor: Ragnarok came out. So we talked about that (I loved it, of course), and we talked a little about acting in “comic book” movies where his approach is always to just play the truth of the character and be genuine in the moment and specifically not play it as if it’s a “comic book” movie. He was great. Everyone was.

What are you looking forward to most about Loki?
I’m just excited to see the character again and do a deeper dive into the character. That’s what been so great about the Disney+ shows – we’ve gotten to go really deep with characters like Wanda, Vision, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes. …

Since (spoiler alert) Loki is dead, it’s great to see a time travel show that will fill in some gaps from Endgame as to what happened when Loki stole the Tesseract from everyone in the lobby of Stark Tower.

Of all the new projects Marvel has unveiled for Phase 4, which one(s) are you most excited about?
It’s hard to choose, as they all look great. If Marvel’s name is on it, I’m seeing it. Among the ones I’m most excited about …

I’ve gotten to know Simu Liu a bit via the AGBO Super Hero Fantasy Football League we all play in, so I can’t wait to see Shang-Chi. The Spider-Man movies with Tom Holland are always so well done. I’m excited to see how the events of WandaVision play out in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and, of course, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

On Disney+, Ms. Marvel and the Secret Invasion/Nick Fury series are at the top of my list.

Of course, I hope that eventually, Disney+ runs out of ideas, and they decide to focus on a series about a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who may or may not have been Hydra.

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