There’s just something about Loki that makes it possible to ship him with anyone, especially in Thor: Ragnarok.
I walked out of Thor: Ragnarok feeling exhilarated in the way you only feel after laughing until you’ve cried, multiple times. I’m pretty sure the movie extended my life and just made me a healthier person in general… unless you count the crazy shipper that awakened within me.
It’s all because of Loki. Between Thor and Loki, Loki has always been at the center of the fandom’s attention, especially on the internet. It must be a combination of his badboy charm and the fact that he’s played by soulful, too-good-for-this-world Tom Hiddleston. But I never felt so inclined to create headcanons around him as I did after Ragnarok.
Now, I found myself shipping him with everybody, both in the movie and outside of it.
Related: Ranking Cate Blanchett’s Hela Scenes in Thor: Ragnarok
It’s not that I — or anyone else, probably — want Loki to have a love interest within the MCU. He’s definitely much too corrupt and morally grey for something like that to work out without it being vastly problematic. But that ambiguity is also what makes him so fascinating; being the god of mischief, he’s exceptionally good at making himself fit into any sort of situation in the way that’s most convenient to him.
It makes him the perfect character for the fandom’s overactive imagination. And it brought about what is probably the most superficial article I’ve ever written on this site, but here we are. I won’t judge you for reading this if you don’t judge me for writing it.
Here are some of the characters Thor: Ragnarok made me ship with Loki, (mostly) without guilt.
Loki/Valkyrie
The fight scene between them was intense and even though Valkyrie totally deserves better than either of the Asgardian brothers, I could see Loki being attracted to how smart and powerful she is, and how skillfully she managed to beat him up.
If they have more time together, he might be able to eventually convince her to pursue the chemistry between them, in that classic enemies-to-lovers way, in which they would be perpetually angry at each other but be even more attracted to each other because of all that anger. And maybe she’d eventually make him a better man because of it.
Loki/Stephen Strange
They’re both magicians! They’re played by the two most Tumblr-lauded actors in the internet! Loki is terribly jealous of Stephen, and Stephen is very dismissive of Loki, but the magical competition between the two, and their opposing motivations — Loki wanting to take over Earth, and Stephen wanting to protect it — would offer space for grudging respect to develop, and maybe even attraction.
And then the internet would explode.
Loki/Bruce Banner
I would love to watch a movie of these two going on an adventure. While it’s kind of hard to imagine Bruce ever getting into a romantic relationship with Loki, I can see a lot of confused pining going on.
What if Loki were forced to embark on a journey with Bruce, much like Thor had to? He would be perpetually terrified of making Bruce angry, which would be a very different dynamic than what we’re used to seeing from Loki’s scenes. He’d end up being a begrudging assistant to a very confused Bruce, and it might bring out the best in him. While this is more of a friendship!ship, maybe they would end up admiring each other in a more profound way.
Loki/Jane Foster
Apparently Thor and Jane broke up… which makes sense, given that she’s barely had a role in the MCU as of late. And no matter what Thor says, we all know it was Jane who made the final decision. Maybe, in a rash moment of insanity, Jane would give Loki a chance, and Loki (who can’t resist an opportunity to upset his brother) would be eager to take it.
Loki/Hela
Loki is adopted, and they never met before, so it could definitely have happened, especially if things hadn’t worked out the way they did in Ragnarok, and Loki hadn’t witnessed his father’s last moments. Loki has always been hungry for power, and in the face of Hela’s might he could have settled for a role as her underling… or perhaps even her consort, if she were so inclined. They already have matching outfits, after all.
It would have been a sad fate for Loki, who despite all his evil actions, isn’t really as evil as Hela, but it’s definitely plausible. And Cate Blanchett can make me ship anything.
Loki/Thor
They’re adopted brothers, okay? Don’t look at me.