Loki made waves in the MCU thanks to its confirmation of Loki’s bisexuality, thereby making Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief the franchise’s first openly queer protagonist. This was the cause of much celebration from fans, although the way his coming-out was handled wasn’t unanimously praised. Many felt that the exploration of Loki’s sexuality being confined to a single scene — the whole thing’s over and done with in 27 seconds flat — did the character a disservice.
One of those critics include incoming Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies. The It’s a Sin creator blasted the Disney Plus series for boiling down its LGBTQ+ representation to “one word.” Davies stated, “He said the word ‘prince,’ and we’re meant to go, ‘Thank you, Disney! Aren’t you marvelous?’ It’s a ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture towards the vital politics and the stories that should be told.”
Davies’ heated response ruffled some feathers among the fandom, and now Loki director Kate Herron has responded to his thoughts on the scene. Herron — who’s handing over the reins of the show to Moon Knight‘s Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson for season two — admitted to Variety that she somewhat agrees with Davies on the subject, although she’s still proud of what the series managed to achieve. As she put it:
“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. 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.”
It seems that Herron, who identifies as bisexual herself, is very much in Davies’ camp on the need for more overt queer rep in mainstream productions like a Marvel show. Likewise, it’s good that she’s not taking Davies’ comments personally as the writer’s problem is clearly with Disney and not the creative team. Nevertheless, Loki deserves its credit for breaking a major milestone for the MCU, even if the studio still has a long way to go on that front.
Those left frustrated by Loki‘s handling of its queer rep may be interested in Thor: Love and Thunder, which sees Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie on the hunt for her queen, coming to theaters on July 8.
