Ten years after introducing Tom Hiddleston's Loki in 2011's Thor, Marvel has confirmed the fan favorite character is bisexual.
The confirmation came in the latest episode of the Disney+ series Loki, in which the god of mischief is asked if he's had relationships with "would-be-princesses, or perhaps another prince." Loki replies, "A bit of both."
The show's director, Kate Herron, highlighted the significance of the moment on Twitter.
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"From the moment I joined [Loki] it was very important to me, and my goal, to acknowledge Loki was bisexual," Herron wrote. "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 [my] heart is so full, to say that this is now canon in [the] #MCU."
This comes as Marvel for years has faced calls to bring significant LGBTQ representation to its movie universe. In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's character of Valkyrie was once set to be confirmed as bisexual, but the scene was cut. 2019's Avengers: Endgame later featured a minor gay character, but only in one scene as director Joe Russo made a cameo. Marvel's upcoming blockbuster The Eternals, however, is set to feature an openly gay hero played by Brian Tyree Henry and include the MCU's first LGBTQ kiss, and Valkyrie will reportedly have an LGBTQ storyline in the next Thor film.
But after Wednesday's episode, Loki is now the first queer lead character of the MCU, Decider noted. Fans previously spotted that in a trailer for the show, Loki's sex was listed as "fluid," and Herron told Insider, "He's gender fluid in the Norse mythology and the comics and it felt like an important thing to, as you say, make sure it's canon."
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