Well, here we have it, kids. The first canonically queer Marvel Cinematic Universe lead is here, and of course, it’s none other than Loki.
And it isn’t an outside-of-canon “Dumbledore is gay” sort of deal, too. The reveal came during a moment in the third episode of “Loki,” which started off as a seemingly innocuous conversation between two versions of the god of mischief.
After hopping on a train to escape a moon in the Kree galaxy that’s bound to explode, Loki—the Tom Hiddleston one—chats with his companion, otherwise known as Lady Loki/Sylvie (played by Sophia Di Martino). The convo soon delves into the deeper side of things, as they end up talking about life and love.
“You’re a prince. Must’ve been would-be-princesses,” Sylvie says, after Loki asks her about any lovers waiting for her at the end of their escape route. She pauses, and possibly to enunciate the point, she says: “Or perhaps, another prince.”
“A bit of both. I suspect the same as you,” Loki responds.
While it feels like a passing moment, the scene in question is bathed in textbook bisexual lighting with pink, purple, and dark blue shades permeating the screen. “Loki’s” executive producer and director Kate Herron took to Twitter to acknowledge the moment as well, which she calls her “goal” since the beginning of her stint on the show.
“From the moment I joined @LokiOfficial it was very important to me, and my goal, to acknowledge Loki was bisexual,” she wrote. “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.”
For followers of the MCU, it may as well be the most clear-cut coming out we’re gonna get, at least in this phase. The comics version of Loki has skated around the subject, with the villain/antihero having previously mentioned that he didn’t share Earth’s “concept of sexual identity” back in 2013’s “Young Avengers.”
With the MCU’s infamous history of queerbaiting, we can say that this is a win—although Marvel has a lot to keep up with.
Read more:
Okay, I might forgive Marvel for ‘Endgame’ after this ‘Loki’ preview
The Scout team lists down the top film and TV moments that queerbaited them
The B in LGBTQ+ is “bi the way, we exist”
Still from “Loki”