After confirming that Loki is, indeed, gender fluid in a trailer for the Disney+ series, the MCU has gone one (huge) step further and revealed that the God of Mischief is bisexual.
It’s a welcome revelation, considering Marvel has long been criticised for its lack of LGBTQIA representation on screen.
During the third episode of Loki, the trickster — played by Tom Hiddleston — confessed to Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) that he identifies as bi, thus becoming the first openly bisexual character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Sylvie, a fellow trickster who has also been wreaking havoc on the timeline to the chagrin of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), earns Loki’s personal revelation as she navigates whether he is friend or foe. Turns out, he could be even more.
Discussing romance, Sylvie asks Loki, “How about you? You’re a prince. Must’ve been would-be princesses. Or perhaps another prince.”
“A bit of both,” Loki responds. “I suspect the same as you.”
Series director Kate Herron shared her joy at the events of the episode with a Tweet reading, “From the moment I joined @LokiOfficial it was very important to me, and my goal, to acknowledge Loki was bisexual.
“It is a part of who he is and who I am too. I know this is a small step but I’m happy, and heart is so full, to say that this is now Canon in #mcu.”
From the moment I joined @LokiOfficial it was very important to me, and my goal, to acknowledge Loki was bisexual. It is a part of who he is and who I am too. I know this is a small step but I’m happy, and heart is so full, to say that this is now Canon in #mcu #Loki 💗💜💙 pic.twitter.com/lz3KJbewx8
— Kate Herron (@iamkateherron) June 23, 2021
In the comic books, Loki is canonically pansexual and gender fluid, making him one of several Queer characters in the universe. However, fans have long been frustrated that the LGBTQIA superheroes and villains from the graphic novels have largely overlooked when it comes to the screen.
Now, small — but significant — changes to that are being made, with another Asgardian, Valkyrie, set to get a fitting love story in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Played by Tessa Thompson, who has been open about having relationships with both men and women herself, Valkrie is also bisexual in the comic books, and in a relationship with anthropologist Annabelle Riggs.
Speaking at Comic-Con 2019 about Thor: Love and Thunder, Thompson said: “As the new king, she needs to find her queen. So that will be the first order of business.”
Marvel president Kevin Feige later confirmed Thompson’s statement, suggesting that the LGBTQIA representation wouldn’t end there.
After asserting that Valkyrie would definitely have an LGBTQIA storyline to io9, he added, “How that impacts the story remains to be seen with that level of representation you’ll see across our films, not in just Thor 4.”
Elsewhere in the MCU, the upcoming film The Eternals will feature its first openly gay main character to feature on the big screen. The film, directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, focuses on a group of celestial beings who have been watching over humans throughout history but have theoretically never interfered.
In the movie, Phastos — played by Brian Tryee Henry — will, according to Feige, share a kiss with his husband (Haaz Sleiman) which would mark the first kiss shared by a same-sex couple in the MCU.
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