[Tenoke]

>Most people will never have even heard of, much less care, about Loki or Norse mythology

I doubt that's the case. Thor for example at least has been pretty popular from before, maybe on the level of Zeus, I'm guessing Loki was at least half as popular of a mythological character.

Even separately, I must've read at least 10 fantasy works with a trickster god named Loki.

[sovande]

>Thor for example at least has been pretty popular from before

That’s safe to say. Thursday is literally Thor’s day

[krapp]

Bear in mind that Marvel started their Asgardian mythology in the 1960s. This didn't all just start with the MCU.

[ghaff]

Short-lived, but there was at least one other 1960s vintage cartoon Asgardian series as well. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156221/

From my perspective, Norse mythology was maybe not quite as generally known as the Greek/Roman pantheon (outside of northern Europe anyway). But it was certainly not obscure--at least as far as the Odin, Thor, Loki basics.

[ghaff]

Not sure why the downvotes. Thor appeared in various Marvel comic book properties starting in the early 1960s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(Marvel_Comics) I'm sure this contributed to public knowledge of Thor at least among a certain demographic.

[Tenoke]

Likely because while technically correct, it's probably a very small fraction compared to how many have heard of Loki through other means.

[ghaff]

You might be surprised. I sort of went through a mythology phase so I was probably familiar with the Norse pantheon from other sources. But I also certainly remember watching both that 1960s cartoon (though only remember the theme song) and reading the comics in (mostly) the 60s.

I'd be willing to bet that the majority of Americans who can give a vaguely correct answer to Who is Loki? (or Who is Thor?) know that answer because of Marvel at some point in their lives.