Why Miss Minutes From Loki Sounds So Familiar
Contains spoilers for "Loki"
Ever since "WandaVision" dropped, it became evident that the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows on Disney+ aren't afraid to get significantly weirder than their movie cousins. Since "Loki," which debuted on Disney+ on June 9, is a time-travel tale about the further exploits of an escaped, alternate-timeline version of the titular God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston), many fans were probably expecting that the strangeness scale would be off the charts. Even so, it's probably fair to say that few people guessed the series would feature a two-dimensional cartoon clock named Miss Minutes as a notable character.
Miss Minutes gets only a fairly brief scene in the show's first episode, but judging by the fact that she's prominently displayed in the official "Loki" poster, chances are that you'll see plenty more of her as the series' events unfold. Miss Minutes is a mascot in videos that explain the core concepts of the Time Variance Authority to the poor souls who find themselves trapped in the agency's bureaucracy, and her amiable manner of presenting mind-bending concepts like the Multiverse War and the Timekeepers is as hilarious as it is low-key creepy. It doesn't exactly help that the character's friendly drawl sounds like you've heard her many times before, which leads to further bewilderment. But why, exactly, does Miss Minutes sound so familiar? Let's discuss.
Tara Strong voices Miss Minutes to perfection
Marvel doesn't mess around when it comes to casting, so when it was time to find a suitable voice for Miss Minutes, it only makes sense that the studio went for one of the best in the business: Tara Strong, an omnipresent star in the world of voice acting.
Regardless of your animation preferences, the overwhelming chances are that you've heard Strong's voice before. From the multiple supporting character voices she provides for shows like "Rick and Morty" and "Family Guy" to the amazing array of Marvel and DC voice roles she has in her résumé, it has been very difficult to avoid hearing Strong in the last three decades or so.
Some of Strong's best-known voice roles are Bubbles in "The Powerpuff Girls" series, Twilight Sparkle in the "My Little Pony" franchise, Dil Pickles in "Rugrats" (and the "Rugrats" movies), Illyana Rasputin in the "X-Men" series from the mid-1990s, Timmy Turner and Poof (as well as Britney Spears and many others) in "The Fairly Odd Parents," Bebe and Cece Proud and Puff in "The Proud Family," Raven (and Gizmo, Kole, and Jinx) in "Teen Titans," Ben Tennyson in "Ben 10," Ember McLain and Penelope Spectra in "Danny Phantom," Mary Jane Watson in "Ultimate Spider-Man," Rocky the Flying Squirrel in "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," and Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon, whom she has voiced in various DC animated productions since 1997.
That's just the tip of the iceberg that is Strong's résumé, and she's really one of those actresses who are far too prolific to define with just a handful of famous roles. Her experience and sheer versatility make her a perfect casting choice for a show like "Loki," and we can't wait to see where she gets to take Miss Minutes as the show progresses.
New episodes of "Loki" are available for streaming on Disney+ every Wednesday.