Avengers star Tom Hiddleston has praised Disney+’s Loki and the titular bisexual character in a new movie.
Back in 2021, the highly anticipated series following Asgard’s God of Mischief premiered on Disney+.
Upon its release, the show was met with critical acclaim, with many Marvel fans praising the show for its unique story and Hiddleston’s performance.
Aside from its exploration of multiversal travel, one of the biggest aspects of the show that fans enjoyed was Loki’s landmark coming out moment.
In the third episode, the beloved demigod opened up about his past relationships with his variant Sylvie and admitted he’d been romantically involved with both ‘princesses and princes’ – reflecting the character’s fluid sexuality from the comics.
However, fans weren’t the only ones to praise the landmark moment.
In Variety’s recent Actors on Actors special, Hiddleston gushed to Pam & Tommy star Lily James about playing the MCU’s first openly LGBTQ+ character.
“Back from my early days of researching the character in the ancient myths, the identity of Loki was fluid in every aspect and in gender, in sexuality,” he explained.
“It’s a very ancient part of the character, and I think I thought about it… It hadn’t emerged in the stories we’ve told. And I was really pleased and privileged, actually, that it came up in the series. It’s a small step. There’s so much more to do.
“But the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to reflect that 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.”
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In response, James described Hiddleston’s portrayal of the God of Mischief as “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,” she added.
Hiddleston’s comments come a few weeks after director Kate Herron responded to the criticism from It’s A Sin creator Russell T Davies.
Back in 2021, Davies described Loki’s coming-out moment as a “feeble” gesture.
“I think that’s a very great worry. Loki makes one reference to being bisexual once, and everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, it’s like a pansexual show,'” he said.
“It’s like one word. He said the word ‘prince’, and we’re meant to go, ‘Thank you, Disney! Aren’t you marvellous?’ It’s a ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture towards the vital politics and the stories that should be told.”
In response to Davies’ comments, Herron told Variety that she was “very proud” of the moment.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
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