If you’re anything like the TMS staffers, you likely let out a cheer when Tom Hiddleston’s Loki confirmed his bisexuality in the first season of his eponymous Disney+ series. Of course, Loki has long been a canon bisexual in the comics, but this was the first time that his sexuality was acknowledged in the Marvel cinematic universe. Hiddleston discussed the moment with Lily James (Pam and Tommy) during Variety’s “Actors on Actors”, which saw the two interviewing one another.
Hiddleston noted his long tenure as the god of mischief, saying “Loki’s changed so much over the years for me. I was cast when I was 29, and I’m 41.” He delved into the evolution of the character and the MCU, saying “Initially, with the wigs and the costume, I was always trying to break out of the mask. Let something honest come through. By the time we got to the series, Loki’s stripped of all the things that are familiar. Immediately, he’s literally stripped and put in a jumpsuit, and his status is gone. Everyone knows who the character is now. Let’s open him up and find new aspects of him and challenge the character to change and grow.”
James brought up the character’s queerness, and Hiddleston said, “Back from my early days of researching the character in myths, the identity of Loki was fluid in every aspect. In gender, in sexuality. It’s an ancient part of the character, and it hadn’t emerged in the stories we’ve told. 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. Extraordinary character, in a way, to contain so much.”
He continued, “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. 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 … I was really pleased and privileged, actually, that it’s came up in the series.”
James noted, “How incredible. What an impact that can make on such a widely seen universe, which becomes people’s religion. And for people to feel represented and to see themselves, it’s just so important.”
Recently, Queer as Folk creator Russell T. Davies slammed the series for paying lip service to Loki’s bisexuality in a throwaway line. Season one director Kate Herron responded, “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. Russell is a hero of mine, but like I’ve said, I hope that we did at least open the door and that more stories will come.”
Season 2 of Loki is expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
(via Variety, featured image: Marvel/Disney+)
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