Marvel StudiosIn the first season of Loki, the eponymous God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) travels back in time to the destruction of Pompeii. As an errant variant of the original Loki, he’s used to his actions triggering anomalies for the Time Variance Authority. But as he stands in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius as it rains down ash on the doomed city, Loki realizes that nothing he does will change anything. Pompeii’s destruction is a fixed event in the Sacred Timeline: its people are doomed, and Loki’s hijinks will neither save them nor speed up their demise.Loki only confirms what most people already assume about the tragedy of Pompeii — albeit with a Marvel-inspired twist — but the reality of this fraught chapter in history was a little more nuanced. Not every citizen of Pompeii was instantly buried in the volcanic eruption, and not everyone perished. Some even escaped, but their survival rarely makes its way into history books. Ironically, it falls to the same team behind Loki to set the record straight. Five years after the series (gently) satirized the event, Hiddleston and producer Kevin R. Wright are headed back to Pompeii to tell the real story. Pompeii: Out of Time takes a unique approach to the concept of the docuseries. The three-part event, hosted by Hiddleston, is almost a companion piece to Loki. In the present day, we’ll follow his efforts to collect data on real Pompeian citizens who lived in the city when Vesuvius erupted. But Hiddleston will also “travel” back in time with the help of some well-staged historical reenactments, and watch as his persons of interest — a teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman, and a mysterious Praetorian guard — fight to escape almost certain doom. Along the way, Pompeii will bridge the gap between our ancient past and our present, showing us who we were in an attempt to excavate who we are today.“Blending cutting-edge archaeological discoveries, expert analysis, and deeply personal storytelling, the series reframes Pompeii not as a story of destruction but as a human drama of resilience, sacrifice and survival,” the series’ synopsis reads. It’s a fascinating way to examine a part of history that’s already been exhumed time and again. That there’s still more to say about Pompeii is a surprise in itself, as is Hiddleston’s newfound role as its spokesperson. The scope of his new series is just zany enough to feel novel: we’ll no doubt learn something by watching, but this unique format will deliver this new history with cinematic flair.Pompeii: Out of Time streams July 23 on Disney+ and Hulu.