The latest episode of Marvel’s Loki included a pretty big milestone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its version of the God of Mischief. Although Loki’s gender-fluidity and pansexuality have been canon in the comics for years, “Lamentis” marks the first time the character has confirmed it himself in any medium related to the MCU. It’s also the first time a major character in the franchise has been openly part of the LGBTQ+ community, something Marvel is reportedly committed to continuing in Phase 4 with Valkyrie’s search for a queen in Thor: Love and Thunder and an openly gay Phastos in the upcoming Eternals.
During a conversation about love with Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki gives insight into his romantic past. “So, on the subject of love, is there a lucky beau waiting for you at the end of this crusade?” Loki asks. “Yeah, there is actually. I managed to maintain quite a serious long-distance relationship with a postman whilst running across one apocalypse to another,” Sylvie replies before continuing to question him. “How ’bout you? You’re a prince, must’ve been would-be princesses or perhaps another prince?,” she adds with a waggle of the brows. “A bit of both. I suspect the same as you, but nothing ever,” he begins before Sylvie finishes his sentence, “Real.” Likely as a nod to the struggles both Loki and Sylvie have faced in love, the episode fittingly opened with a song from an LGBTQ+ artist — aka “Demons” by Hayley Kiyoko.
Loki‘s director Kate Herron later confirmed on Twitter that Loki’s bisexuality is canon. “From the moment I joined @LokiOfficial it was very important to me, and my goal, to acknowledge Loki was bisexual,” she tweeted on Wednesday. “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.”