In a recent interview, Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, confirmed that there would be at least two queer identifying characters coming to the MCU.
That admission wasn’t anything that we hadn’t heard before, of course. Several overtures of diversifying the spectrum of orientations represented within the Marvel movies have been made, yet none have come to fruition.
The closest, of course, was the near on-screen confirmation that Valkyrie — Tessa Thompson’s character introduced in Thor: Ragnarok — is bisexual. A scene, which would have seen a female partner of Valkyrie’s leaving her room, hit the cutting room floor before the movie was released.
So, assuming that we can take Feige at his word, and this isn’t a case of more lip-service, we’re going to take a look at which characters are the most likely to be revealed as queer, or join the cast from Avengers 4 onward.
Characters in the MCU
Valkyrie
The most obvious addition of a queer character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be Valkyrie. As previously mentioned, Valkyrie’s bisexuality was confirmed by actress Tessa Thompson, though a scene in Thor: Ragnarok, which did not make the final cut of the movie, would have made it explicit on screen.
YES! Val is Bi in the comics & I was faithful to that in her depiction. But her sexuality isn’t explicitly addressed in Thor: Ragnarok. https://t.co/hmb5lYN5to
Article Continues Below— Tessa Thompson (@TessaThompson_x) 23 October 2017
In the Marvel comics Valkyrie is also bisexual. For a while, she was in love with Siegfried (a mortal guise of Thor), and they shared a short-lived relationship. Siegfried, who died, was then resurrected as Thor, but Odin wiped both his and Valkyrie’s memories, so neither remember their love for one another.
Later, Valkyrie developed feelings for a character called Dr. Annabelle Riggs, who returned them in kind. That romantic entanglement was painfully brief, however, as Annabelle died shortly after they got close. Things were further complicated when, out of grief, Valkyrie called in a favour with Clea to bring Annabelle back to life. The catch? The two ended up sharing a body, with Annabelle serving as the newest host for Valkyrie.
Ayo and Aneka
Ayo – a member of the Dora Milaje, who was introduced in Black Panther — is also a strong candidate as a potential character who could be revealed as queer in the MCU.
A rumored flirtation between Ayo and Okoye – who was in a relationship with W’Kabi in the movie – circulated shortly after Black Panther was released. It was confirmed at that point, however, that there were no plans to enter those two into a relationship.
However, that does not mean all hope is lost. In the comics, Ayo is in a relationship with a different member of the Dora Milaje, called Aneka. Aneka did not feature as a named character in Black Panther, though several members of the Dora Milaje could have potentially been Ayo’s partner.
In the World of Wakanda comic, Ayo saved Aneka from a death sentence, and the two escape together, eventually becoming the Midnight Angels, liberating women being held hostage on the border of Wakanda. Though the comic ended far too soon, Ayo and Aneka’s relationship played a crucial and central role in the story, which showed the women of Wakanda outside of their connection to T’Challa.
Korg
That’s right. The Kronan warrior, Korg, as voiced by Thor: Ragnarok’s director Taika Waititi, is queer.
Much like Valkyrie, Korg’s orientation was not explicitly confirmed within the movie and, when asked, Waititi said he did not think of his character as gay, but “he could be.”
In an issue of The Incredible Hulk, it was revealed that Korg’s “beloved” was the warrior Hiroim, a Shadow Priest on Sakaar. The two met at the Maw, the Empire’s gladiator training school, and remained in a relationship until Hiroim’s death.
New characters to the MCU
Theodore “Teddy” Altman and William “Billy” Kaplan
The introduction of both Theodore “Teddy” Altman and William “Billy” Kaplan may be something of a longshot, however, there have been enough hints to suggest that their eventual inclusion in the MCU could happen in the not-so-distant future.
With Captain Marvel set to introduce the Kree-Skrull war, it could set up the events that would lead to Teddy’s introduction. The original Captain Marvel, a Kree, and the Skrull Emperor’s daughter, Princess Anelle, had a brief affair and she conceived a child. After Teddy was born, Princess Anelle sent him away with her nursemaid, where he was raised as a human on Earth.
Billy, on the other hand, is one of twins, and a son of Scarlet Witch and Vision – who embarked on a relationship in Infinity War. He was, technically, born to the Kaplan’s, though his soul was reincarnated into that child. He has similar universe altering powers to Wanda, and is part of the Young Avengers with Teddy.
While Teddy and Billy are working together with the Young Avengers, they fall in love and enter into a relationship. They are still together through to the most recent volumes of The New Avengers, and are engaged to be married.
America Chavez
I’ve written previously about my desire to see America Chavez join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while it remains an outside possibility, it is not impossible that we could see America in a post-Avengers 4 world.
Should America join the MCU – whether that be as a member of the Young Avengers, or taking up the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers, when the MCU ultimately moves on from its current core cast – it would present the perfect opportunity to introduce a queer, out, character.
In the Marvel comics, America is dating a medical technician in training, called Lisa Halloran. She has made a few minor appearances in America’s solo comic, though the relationship has not seen significant time dedicated to it on the page.
Carol Danvers
Carol Danvers is the only character on this list that has not been confirmed as queer in the Marvel comics. However, that does not mean should couldn’t be when she eventually makes her big screen debut in 2019.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for taking inspiration from the characters’ comic book origins, without treating it as gospel. So, with Carol Danvers joining the fray in her solo movie, she could also be one of the new characters Feige referenced as upcoming LGBT+ representation in the MCU.
Unlike the previous two entries in the “new” characters list, Carol’s involvement is confirmed and fast approaching. Whether any potential queer relationship would be confirmed in the Captain Marvel movie, or if it would come later, would remain to be seen, but it remains an outside possibility as one of the few heroes known to be joining the franchise soon.
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