Marvel Studios chief promises LGBT superheroes in future movies
The crowd-pleasing Marvel Cinematic Universe films have remained relatively free of “social justice” posturing ever since they began with 2008’s “Iron Man,” but that may be about to change.
In an interview, Monday to promote this month’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige told The Playlist that future entries in the superhero saga would include multiple characters confirmed onscreen to be gay or bisexual.
“When are we getting a Gay, Bi, LGBTQ, out character in the MCU?” the interviewer asked. “Is it even in the works?” Feige answered that it was, teasing that in addition to at least one completely new character, at least one previously-established character would be revealed to be LGBT in some way.
This isn’t the first time Feige has made a similar promise; in 2015 he told Collider that audiences could expect to see a homosexual, bisexual, or transgender character sometime within the next decade.
However, whether Feige’s words signal a sincere desire to add LGBT messages to the movies, or are merely meant to appease disgruntled LGBT activists, remains unknown. “Never EVER believe anything that #KevinFeige says,” entertainment journalist Grace Randolph said Monday. “[H]e says yes to everything he's ever asked because he doesn't want any negative coverage.”
Pro-homosexual activists have previously attacked Marvel for not only neglecting to add LGBT characters to their movies but for cutting brief moments identifying characters’ LGBT status that was originally filmed for “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Black Panther.” Such cuts add another dimension to the question; even planning to add more LGBT characters is no guarantee their sexuality will make it to theatres.
Hollywood’s reluctance to promote homosexuality in big-budget movies, despite its willingness to do so in television superhero fare such as The CW’s “Supergirl,” may be an attempt to appease the lucrative Chinese market, where homosexual content can get films edited or banned. However, domestic audiences may be increasingly wary of “representation” in their entertainment, as well.
In March, GLAAD found that America’s LGBT acceptance has actually begun to decrease, which conservatives attribute to the LGBT lobby’s transition from “live and let live” arguments to attacks on other Americans’ religious, conscience, and privacy rights.
Parent company Marvel Entertainment, which is owned by Disney, has taken a beating on the political front in recent years, as well, raising further questions as to whether it really wants to risk altering the formula that has brought it a success across nineteen films so far.
Marvel Comics cancelled all three of its comic book series that won GLAAD awards in 2017, citing poor sales. Last year, comic retailers excoriated the publisher for hurting their business with books that alienated readers by emphasizing political and “social justice” themes.
