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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Loki Episode 3, “Lamentis,” streaming now on Disney+.
Loki has made waves on Disney+, but it was in Season 1, Episode 3, “Lamentis” that the show really gave audiences something to buzz about. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and rogue variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) are stowing away on a train to the end of the planet and having a getting-to-know-you sort of conversation. During this, Sylvie says, voice lilting and eyebrows raised, “How about you? You’re a prince, must have been would-be princesses? Or perhaps another prince?” Loki’s response, to many fans’ delight, is to smirk and say, “A bit of both, I suspect the same as you.”
The pair goes on to acknowledge that none of their relationships have been “real,” presumably meaning significant or long-lasting or even just (given these characters’ affinity for lying) genuine. The audience knows that Loki doesn’t have a lot of strong relationships (and can assume the same for Sylvie) but the confirmation that these two long-lived beings have totally missed out on genuine romantic connections despite presumably wanting them is upsetting, but that part of the conversation has been (understandably) overshadowed by the rest.
Loki’s queerness predates his inclusion in even Marvel comics; the mythological Loki is explicitly genderfluid and has even borne a child while shapeshifted into a horse. This genderfluidity has long been included in the comics, though it wasn’t acknowledged in the Marvel Cinematic Universe until Loki (first when his gender was listed as “fluid” on a promotional photo of his TVA file, then by the inclusion of Sylvie, initially presented as a “Lady Loki”). This acknowledgement was already a huge step; fans have been wanting to see genderfluid Loki for years but have been unsure whether the MCU, which has been hesitant to include any queer content, would provide.
Loki’s bisexuality (and Sylvie’s, by extension) is revealed in a quiet moment, but it’s undoubtedly significant. He’s the first character already known and loved by fans who has come out, and that’s something that audiences have been waiting for. It’s also notable that Loki director Kate Herron is bisexual herself and understands the importance of including queer identities in the franchise.
When the Russo Brothers announced that Avengers: Endgame featured the MCU’s first queer character, people were wary: the TV shows, which hadn’t yet been declared non-canon, had already featured multiple significant queer characters and even been lauded for it, so the Russos’ declaration felt like erasure. It was also well-known that actress Tessa Thompson and director Taika Waititi had lobbied to include Valkyrie’s comics-established bisexuality in Thor: Ragnarok and been repeatedly rebuffed by the studio, so a lot of fans doubted how significant this queer representation could be.
Nevertheless, they still held out hope that a known character (perhaps Steve Rogers or Carol Danvers, who both feature in significant same-sex ships in fandom) might make at least an offhand remark confirming themselves to be queer. It felt like a slap in the face to many when this praised and promoted queer representation was actually just a cameo by Joe Russo himself, playing a member of Steve’s support group who mentioned being gay. This made it seem like very performative representation that was included largely for press and diversity points.
Loki coming out is what fans wanted from the queer representation in Endgame. While he’s typically an antagonist, Loki has been one of the MCU’s most popular characters since his first appearance in 2011’s Thor. He even got his own TV show after his character had been killed off in the “main” timeline. He’s a beloved character, especially to queer fans; this largely stems from the fact that he’s been established as genderfluid and bisexual in the comics — though per his official comics coming-out, “[Asgardian] culture doesn’t really share [humans’] concept of sexual identity” — and fans hoped but doubted that they’d ever see that in the MCU.
Loki — and Herron — gave that to fans, and it really matters. While Loki probably won’t say the word “bisexual” (media tends to shy away from the word for no real reason other than biphobia), that’s because of his Asgardian heritage, not because the show is afraid to admit it. Herron has used the word repeatedly, and combined with the onscreen discussion, that’s a pretty solid confirmation.
It’s also worth noting that, given Loki’s own genderfluidity, he’s likely been involved with nonbinary or genderfluid people in addition to “princesses” and “princes,” but this doesn’t negate his bisexuality. According to Bi.org, “Bisexuality is a broad and inclusive term that describes physical attraction, romantic attraction, or sexual behavior that is not limited to one sex.” Though some people interpret this as meaning “attraction to men and women” others, presumably including Loki, see it as “attraction to same and other genders.” The bisexual and pansexual labels can overlap, and some people identify as both, but as it stands, bisexuality is the identity being assigned to Loki.
While it remains to be seen whether or not the God of Mischief will be shown acting on his bisexuality, in Loki or in other MCU projects, his coming out is a big moment for the MCU and its fans. Unlike the Endgame moment, it satisfies fans’ desire for representation, and hopefully it’s the first step in a more inclusive direction.
Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane and Eugene Cordero. New episodes air Wednesdays on Disney+.
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