Moving into Phase 4, Marvel Studios has taken major strides in terms of its representation of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Just one year in, the MCU has more leading women than ever, more minorities are taking on leading roles, and Eternals featured Marvel's first gay relationship on-screen. Albeit more subtly, Loki also took a surprising step, as Tom Hiddleston's hero was revealed to be both bisexual and gender-fluid in his Disney+ series.
Loki's gender fluidity was revealed before the series even premiered, as a TVA document listed the God of Mischief's gender as "fluid." The revelation as to his bisexuality didn't come until the third installment, in which Loki subtly confirmed his bisexuality during a conversation with Sylvie aboard a train on Lamentis.
The cast and crew of Loki have already discussed why this confirmation was so significant, especially for director Kate Herron who is openly bisexual herself. In spite of the milestone that Loki was, being the first MCU project to star an LGBTQIA+ character in the leading role, the series has been left out of Disney+'s Pride collection.
Loki Left Out of Disney+'s Pride Celebrations
To celebrate the beginning of Pride Month, Disney+ recently added a collection of films, series, and episodes that include the LGBTQIA+ community.
The Pride collection features several projects from the Marvel universe - Eternals, Jessica Jones, Runaways, and Marvel’s Hero Project Episode 5 - but Loki was notably absent.
Loki brought with it the revelation that the MCU's God of Mischief is bisexual, as he told Sylvie that he has dabbled in "a bit of both:"
Sylvie: “How about you? You’re a prince. Must’ve been would-be princesses. Or perhaps another prince.”
Loki: “A bit of both. I suspect the same as you. But nothing ever…”
Sylvie: “Real.”
Why Wasn't Loki in Disney+'s Pride Collection?
Loki may have finally revealed the bisexuality of Tom Hiddleston's Asgardian, but it didn't quite feature LGBTQIA+ representation on the same level as the other Marvel projects that were included.
Eternals featured the first homosexual couple in an MCU movie; Jessica Jones prominently featured the lesbian lawyer Jeri Hogarth; Runaways included Marvel's first gay kiss between two superheroes; Marvel's Hero Project Episode 5 documented a woman's efforts to support the LGBTQIA+ youth.
All of these projects served as milestones for LGBTQIA+ representation in the Marvel universe, something Loki has yet to fully achieve. Granted, the Disney+ series was significant in that it marked the first MCU entry to star an LGBTQIA+ character in the titular role, but Loki's bisexuality had little role to play in the first season.
Although the God of Mischief's bisexuality and gender-fluidity may finally be canon in the MCU, neither had a major role to play in the series itself. After all, Loki's romantic arc in his Disney+ series ended up being with Sylvie, a female Variant of himself.
Loki being bisexual may not have proven important in the first season, but that's not to say it won't in the future. The second season is expected to begin filming in the coming weeks in advance of a 2023 release, so perhaps the coming episodes will utilize his LGBTQIA+ identity in a more significant way.
Loki is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.
