Leading up to the premiere of Marvel’s new Disney Plus series “Loki,” the internet was buzzing with speculation from MCU fans that the titular character of the show, Loki’s, would identify as queer.
This is your spoiler warning.
Loki’s Gender Fluidity is Confirmed
In Marvel Comics, Loki has been a character whose sexual orientation has included bisexuality & pansexuality, and fluid gender identity.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Loki’s first comic appearance was Journey into Mystery #85 (1952), so fans have had a lot of time with comic Loki canon. Loki has always been a shapeshifter, but it wasn’t until the mid-2010s that a variety of story arcs canonized Loki’s gender fluidity.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Loki’s non-binary identity was confirmed in the comic Original Sin Vol 1 #5.5 (2014) when Odin refers to Loki as, “my son and my daughter, and my child who is both.”
In both a promo for the Disney Plus series and Loki’s TVA Variant file in Episode 1 of the series, Loki’s sex is listed as FLUID, which is a huge step for the MCU in terms of addressing what has always been known in the comics.
(L-R): Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sophia Di Martino in Marvel Studios’ LOKI, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
However, in Episode 3, we also get explicit confirmation that Loki is in fact bisexual, with Loki confirming his romantic past involves both women and men.
Sylvie asks Loki—since he’s a prince—if he has would-be princesses or perhaps another prince waiting for him. He says, “a bit of both, I suspect the same as you.”
This moment is not only a call back to the gender fluidity confirmation in Episode 1, but it’s also confirmation of Loki’s bisexuality that has been in the comics all along. This LGBTQIA+ family is so happy to see this made canon in the MCU.
Loki and Sylvie both refer to themselves as hedonists later in Episode 3, and it seems reasonable to infer that Loki is more auspicious with the pleasure of hedonism than he is the gender of the person he is enjoying.
While we’re excited about this step in the MCU, we are also excited about what it means moving forward because the MCU is definitely far behind some other franchises as far as LGBTQIA+ representation. Instead of another queer-coded villain, we actually have quantifiable, canon-based representation.
Loki’s Bisexuality Confirmed: Why That’s Important
This is important for numerous reasons beyond simply making Loki’s sexual orientation canon in the MCU, something that Loki fans have assumed for 11 years, based on comic canon.
One such storyline is Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014–2015). In this Young Avengers comic, Loki tells David Alleyne/Prodigy, “My culture doesn’t really share your concept of sexual identity. There are sexual acts, that’s it. I’m actually the patron god of certain popular ones, believe it or not.”
Young Avengers #15 (2014). Photo: Marvel Comics
There has been an evident lack of representation in the MCU, and this is the first canonically LGBTQIA+ character to have a lead role in an MCU property.
There are a few characters in the MCU who are acknowledged as being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community (such as Valkyrie), but not in terms of on-screen representation, though Marvel’s Eternals premiering November 5, will feature the MCU’s first openly gay superhero couple (Phastos and a yet unnamed character), portrayed by Brian Tyree Henry and Haaz Sleiman. Loki being canonically queer is a great way for paving the road toward future on-screen representation, because queer people have been wanting and searching for representation on screen for decades. He’s also the most visibly queer superhero to date.
Personally, I could not love more the fact that director Kate Herron wanted to acknowledge Loki’s bisexuality from the moment she joined the Loki team. And you have to love the pink, purple, and blue lighting in this whole episode, especially the scenes in the train that are full-on representative of the bisexual pride flag.
https://twitter.com/iamkateherron/status/1407633677484539906?s=20
Another reason this conversation is so important is that bi-erasure is a real thing. I’m a pretty open book in general, but being bi, I believe I have a responsibility to the bisexuals and the LGBTQIA+ community to not be silent because that contributes to the bi-erasure so common within LGBTQ+ spaces & community overall.
Silence makes acceptance that much harder for other bisexuals—and those who identify outside of exclusively heterosexual or homosexual—to feel represented. Making the lead character in such a mainstream franchise openly bisexual AND gender fluid is beautiful and an excellent conversation starter for families.
Thank you Marvel Studios and Disney+ for taking a big step forward during Pride Month.
Happy Pride Month! Loki is streaming now on Disney+
CHECK OUT OUR POST ON LADY LOKI and SYLVIE LUSHTON/ENCHANTRESS
CHECK OUT OUR LOKI EASTER EGGS & CALLBACKS
CHECK OUT THE REST OF OUR LOKI COVERAGE HERE
CHECK OUT OUR BEST QUOTES POSTS
- Different Reasons to Consider Using a Therapist in New York - March 12, 2025
- Is a Micro Wedding the Dream You Didn’t Know You Had? - February 14, 2025
- DIY Valentine’s Day Cards Inspired by Monster High - February 13, 2025
[…] such a diverse cast, and the inclusion of ASL in the movie is a wonderfully welcome addition, as is Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos and his husband and son. We’re here for that kiss and an LGTBQ+ […]