A throwaway line in Marvel’s Loki caused a stir as it confirmed that Tom Hiddleston’s titular trickster was bisexual, making him the MCUs first queer leading character. Though many fans praised the move, others were disappointed that the point wasn’t further explored in the show’s storyline. Russell T. Davies, the former showrunner of Doctor Who, is not impressed with Loki’s LGBTQ scene.
Davies has long championed queer representation, from his trailblazing 90s miniseries Queer as Folk to this year’s HBO hit It’s a Sin. Hence, it should not surprise us that he is criticising Disney’s Loki series for queerbaiting, whitewashing, and ignoring the canonically queer story of the character.
The acclaimed British screenwriter has a broad range of credits but is perhaps most famous for reviving Doctor Who in 2005. He was at the helm during Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’s tenures as the Time Lord. He also introduced the show’s first gay characters, like the pansexual Captain Jack (John Barrowman). The series also hinted on several occasions that the Doctor was pansexual.
As part of a virtual Pride month panel for Swansea University, Davies talked openly about the changing attitudes to LGBTQ stories in the TV industry and his concerns about how the major streaming services are co-opting them.
“I think huge, cleaning warning bells are ringing as the giants rise up with Netflix and Disney Plus especially,” Davies said. “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.’
Continuing, Davies called Loki’s bisexual moment a “ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture”.
He continued: “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.”
The scene referred to is featured in Loki episode 3. Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) asks the Prince of Asgard if there’s ever been a special “princess” or maybe another “prince” in his life. “A bit of both, I suspect the same as you,” Loki responds. Neither character’s bisexuality is brought up again for the remainder of the season.
Loki director Kate Herron has stated that this was a moment she was very passionate about including, although she acknowledged it was just “a small step” toward better diversifying the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Soon, we’ll see more openly gay characters in films like Eternals and Thor: Love and Thunder, but the franchise still has a long way to go.
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