Tom Hiddleston said he was “really pleased and privileged” to bring the Loki’s Norse mythology — of queerness and gender fluidity — to the MCU canon in the eponymous series “Loki.” During a conversation with Lily James for Variety’s Actors on Actors, the actor championed it as a “small step” that was “really important” for him to portray.
In “Loki” Episode 3, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it comment from Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) posits whether the God of Mischief has had any romantic relationships as of late with “would-be princesses or perhaps, another prince.” Loki answers that there’s been a “bit of both.” Earlier on, in the pilot episode, an Easter egg confirms Loki’s gender as fluid.
“It’s a small step. There’s so much more to do. But the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to reflect the world we live in,” the “Crimson Peak” actor told James. “So it was an honor to bring that up. It was really important to me. It was really important to [director] Kate Herron and [showrunner] Michael Waldron, and I’m pleased that we could bring it into our story.”
Hiddleston added that his thorough research of the character — something that’s long been documented as his time at the “Loki School” — he found that “in the ancient myths, the identity of Loki was fluid in every aspect and in gender, in sexuality.” Upon the debut of “Loki” on Disney+, the character became the first queer lead in Marvel’s franchise. (Tessa Thompson previously stated that her character, Valkyrie, is also bisexual, though that hasn’t explicitly been acknowledged on screen but is expected to in the upcoming “Thor: Love and Thunder.”)
“I was really pleased and privileged, actually, that [Loki’s queerness] came up in the series,” he said.
However, the storyline was not welcomed by all. “It’s a Sin” and “Queer as Folk” creator Russell T. Davies called the representation a “ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture.” In response, Herron said, “I don’t disagree that there should be bigger stories being told, but — and I think he has a right to his opinion — I’m very proud of what we did in the show,” adding that she hopes the show “at least open[ed] the door” for more inclusive stories.
