Who Is Sophia Di Martino’s ‘Loki’ Character?
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Loki Season 1, Episode 2, “The Variant.”]
Loki‘s second installment continues to shake things up for the titular God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) as he came to face-to-face with the TVA’s most-wanted Variant.
But who are they? Sophia Di Martino finally made her onscreen appearance, but her actual role remains unconfirmed. Is she the female version of Loki or another figure from the Marvel universe? Upon meeting the magical being at a superstore of sorts amid a hurricane in 2050 Haven Hills, Alabama, Loki’s exchange has some oddities.
He first encounters the Variant within the store’s aisles where they possess several civilians and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) before revealing their true form. While the Variant’s golden-horned headpiece might allude at a female version of Loki’s character, a possibility from the comic book source material, there’s another figure that Di Martino could be channeling.
Enchantress (a.k.a. Sylvie Lushton) is a character from the Marvel comics who was tied to Loki and fits the physical appearance of Di Martino’s Variant slightly better. A Broxton, Oklahoma native, Sylvie wakes up one morning to discover she possesses powers and is no longer just an average young woman.
Loki created her and she possesses similar powers to the God of Mischief. Her blond hair and blue eyes also match Di Martino’s, as opposed to the comic book version of female Loki who has dark hair like her male counterpart. It is possible that Di Martino’s Variant is an amalgamation of both characters, but only time will tell.
(Credit: Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved)
When Loki has a chance to chat with the Variant, he asks, “me, I presume?” While inhabiting Hunter B-15’s body, the Variant replies, “please, if anyone’s anyone, you’re me.” The line is definitely perplexing and supports the Lady Loki theory, but as their discussion continues, there’s a notable comment made by the Variant that hints otherwise.
“Don’t call me that,” the Variant tells Loki after he calls them “Loki.” The disgust in their voice is apparent, which suggests that maybe they aren’t a variation of Loki. The pair end up getting into a physical fight and Loki proceeds to say “I would never treat me like this,” which is another hint that perhaps this Variant isn’t what he anticipated after Mobius (Owen Wilson) told him that it was another Loki.
Marvel’s description of the Enchantress character states that the sorceress “initially uses her powers to fight crime, but her sense of what a hero and villain are is a bit muddled, and she often ends up working as the latter.” It’s certainly a fitting description for the chaos the Variant causes in the episode’s final moments, setting off several branches deviating from the Sacred Timeline.
(Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
Other hints that this Variant is the Enchantress is the ending of Episode 1, which saw the Minutemen come after the character in 1858 Salina, Oklahoma. Could it have been an early breadcrumb alluding to Sylvie’s connection to the state in the comics? And some viewers even pointed out that in the credits for Episode 2, foreign listings have the character posted as “Sylvie” rather than “Variant.”
Only time will tell for certain who this Variant really is, but her place in the story is becoming clearer after this interesting installment.
Loki, New Episodes, Wednesdays, Disney+
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