Pan People in Literature, Film, and Television

Pansexual people are often under-represented in literature and film. However, things are changing and they are becoming represented in more positive ways. Representation is really important in supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community, as it allows people to feel less alone and more accepted.

Here are some notable Pan people who appear in literature, film and television:

Literature

Chris Morrison (The Melody of You and Me, M. Hollis) - Chris Morrison, the protagonist of this book, is pan. This is a positive depiction of pansexuality which allows a main character to be pansexual. Although Chris can feel attraction regardless of gender, she only dates women in the book, reflecting the fact that pansexual attraction does not need to be `proven' by having relationships with people of different genders.

June Bana (Soft on Soft, Mina Waheed) - this book is another positive depiction of pansexuality. The protagonist June Bana is Arab Persian, fat, and pansexual. This positively reflects the experiences of pansexual people from groups which are less represented in the media.

Film

Lando Calrissian (Star Wars) - Lando Calrissian is a friend of Han Solo in the Star Wars universe. Although Lando's pansexuality is not addressed onscreen, a co-writer of the film Solo has confirmed that the character is pansexual. More could be done to positively depict Lando's sexuality onscreen.

Deadpool (Deadpool) - Similarly to Lando's, Deadpool's pansexuality has been confirmed by filmmakers, but not explicitly portrayed onscreen. In Deadpool 2, there is some suggestion that Deadpool is pansexual, but this is used subtly and at times for comedic effect.

Television

Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty) - a mad scientist who is one of the titular characters of the TV show Rick and Morty, Rick Sanchez is revealed to be pan in the episode `Auto Erotic Assimilation' when Rick's ex Unity is introduced. Unity is a hive mind of different beings, including male and female characters. Rick's pansexuality has also been confirmed by Justin Roiland, one of the show's creators.

Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who, Torchwood) - Jack Harkness has been described using a myriad of labels including pansexual, bisexual, and omnisexual. He is an important character for British television, being the first openly non-straight character in the Doctor Who universe. His pansexuality is explicitly addressed onscreen, especially in the series Torchwood.

Loki (Loki) - Loki, the god of mischief in the Marvel universe, has been depicted as pansexual in Marvel comics. However, their sexuality has not been addressed onscreen until the 2021 series Loki. In addition to feeling attraction regardless of gender, it has been confirmed that Loki's character identifies as genderfluid.