Loki's introduction of the female variant called Sylvie raised many questions, but actor Sophie Di Martino is ruling out one of the most popular theories: Her character isn't the Lady Loki of Marvel Comics canon.
Di Martino explained the difference between Loki, Sylvie and Lady Loki in an interview with Variety. Asked how much of her performance was drawn from lead actor Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki, she replied, "I looked at his performance, but I try not to be shaped by it too much. Sylvie has had a very different backstory to Loki. She’s a different person, and that was really important to us right from the beginning." She went on to relate the pitch that director Kate Herron gave her after she landed the job, saying, "When... she was able to tell me a bit more about it, it was very clear that Sylvia [sic] was Sylvie. And she’s not Lady Loki from the comics."
Within the show's narrative, Hiddleston's Loki and Di Martino's Sylvie are both variants of the same person, the Loki that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has followed since his first appearance in Thor. However, Sylvie sees herself differently and doesn't want to be called "a Loki." Di Martino described how this separates her from Lady Loki, who is likewise a female incarnation of Marvel's Loki -- himself a version of the god of the same name from Norse mythology. "I mean, the show is inspired by the comics, but this is a brand new backstory in a brand new story," said Di Martino. "And so I wanted to make her my own."
The actor also acknowledged the similarities that Sylvie has to Hiddleston's Loki, especially in their physical movements. "You will see, at times throughout the series, that Tom and I do very similar things, like our physicality is similar or when we choreographed fight scenes, we’ll mirror each other," she explained. "And that’s all purposely done. And then the rest of it I’ve kind of just made up as I go along."
In addition to her connections to the Lady Loki character, Sylvie has been noted to share some elements with another Marvel villain, Enchantress. More of her own story may be revealed before the first season of Loki comes to an end.
Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane, and Eugene Cordero. New episodes air Wednesdays on Disney+.
Source: Variety