“Loki” is Marvel Studios’ newest limited series release, revolving around major supervillain Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who is better known as Thor’s adopted brother.

This series follows Loki, as he gets seized by the Time Variance Authority when he uses the tesseract to escape into another point in time. When the TVA is up against a more powerful female version of Loki, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), Mobius (Owen Wilson) gives Loki a chance to redeem himself.

Directed by Kate Herron, this series creates a new storyline based on the pre-existing comics about the God of Mischief from the planet of Asgard. 

Loki’s Queerness

In episode three, Sylvie asks Loki if there are any women “or princes” in his life, to which he responds, “a bit of both,” confirming his bisexuality. While there are always those who sing praises to Disney for “keeping up with the times,” there are still those close-minded folks, who are baffled by the choice to have Loki be a member of the LGBTQ community. 

So, why are viewers shocked by the reveal that Loki is Queer? The most popular complaint coming from homophobic viewers is that it feels as if Disney has added this detail to appeal to more viewers. It seems the only thing these complaints really reveal is the difference between true Marvel fans and phony ones, as Loki was written to be Queer in the original comics. 

In the original Marvel comics, Loki is referred to by the king of Asgard as “a child of both” in a moment in which he is in his female form. Additionally, in “Young Avengers #15,” Loki says, “My culture doesn’t share your concept of sexual identity. There are sexual acts. That’s it.”

His sexuality is a part of what makes him Loki, and the creators of the show made sure to stay true to that. Director Herron said on Twitter, “From the moment I joined @LokiOfficial it was important to me, and my goal, to acknowledge Loki was bisexual. It is a part of who he is and who I am too.” 

Loki’s Representation of the Bi Community

The representation for the bisexual community is heavily appreciated by fans; however, Herron let fans know that Loki’s bisexuality exists only in that scene. Whether the creative team is trying to prevent spoilers from circling is anyone’s guess, but this is a great reminder to fans that a bisexual person does not have to prove their sexuality.

While it would be nice to have more storylines that Queer people can connect to romantically, Loki may not be the character to deliver that storyline. It is only within this season that Loki has become whimsical, so exploring a meaningful relationship with him seems out of character, or at least a plot point that is irrelevant in the mix of the conflict between Sylvie and the TVA.

Regardless, keeping Loki Queer has given Marvel the opportunity to foster acceptance and help people, especially young fans, feel more confident in their sexuality and gender identity. 

You can watch “Loki” on Disney+.

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@MakenaReynolds