Last year, the MCU managed to get negative press in the midst of the Avengers: Endgame love due to a gay character’s appearance. But rather than homophobia being the problem, fans took issue with the supposed representation only being Anthony Russo in a nameless cameo. But things are about to change, and now the MCU plans to include transgender representation as well as a gay character in a larger role.
It was previously reported that The Eternals would include a gay superhero, with Kevin Feige going so far as to say that, “He’s married, he’s got a family, and that is just part of who he is.”
Transgender Heroes For The MCU
It seems they’re taking their commitment to representation seriously now, as evidenced by a recent New York Film Academy panel. Feige had this to say when a student asked the MCU Chief Creative Officer if there would be more LGBT, specifically transgender, characters:
“Yes, absolutely, yes, very soon, in a movie that we’re shooting right now.”
The MCU has already pulled ahead by leaps and bounds when it comes to racial and gender diversity in recent years, even if it came a decade late. But before now, the world of television superheroes was far ahead on that front. DC’s Supergirl introduced its first transgender hero in the wonderfully determined Nia Nal (Nicole Maines), while Marvel shows Jessica Jones on Netflix and Runaways on Hulu both had major LGBT characters with relationships and complex characterizations.
The question now is which film said transgender character will appear in. If Feige is right that it’s a movie shooting now, then the answer is The Eternals. But a rumor once suggested that it would be Thor: Love and Thunder, which is another strong contender. While the details of this upcoming character are unknown, one thing is clear: more diversity can only make for a stronger MCU.
