LGBTQ superheroes are springing up over the horizon, but who will be presenting them to us? According to Precious director Lee Daniels, it will probably be “a white guy.”
Daniel made this recent comment during an interview with Insider. The Empire creator shared that he has been attempting to create a gay superhero movie for “a long time,” but has struggled to get backing from producers and major Hollywood executives.
“I have been trying to get a superhero movie going for quite a while,” he explained. “At the height of ‘Empire,’ I was trying to get a superhero movie going — a gay superhero movie going.”
“I’ve talked about it with some people,” Daniels added. “Maybe some white filmmaker will be able to do it. Maybe they’ll give it to a white guy.”
This isn’t the first time that Lee Daniels has expressed interest in making a gay superhero film. Last year, Daniels announced his interest after an Instagrammer went viral for doing martial arts while wearing heels. After seeing that, Daniels connected with the Instagrammer, named Dremon Cooper or “Super B****,” and announced his intention to make Cooper the star.
“Dreams do come true, and I found my superhero,” Daniel said in the announcement video. But, that announcement was more to express Daniels’ intent than anything else.
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LGBTQ Superheroes?
While Lee Daniels continues to try getting that movie off the ground, there are already LGBTQ superheroes on the precipice of film releases. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is preparing for Phase 4 of its decade-long run. In that phase, studio executives see diversity and inclusivity as their main goals. That includes LGBTQ representation.
First, WandaVision is set to release on Disney+. The short series will explore Wanda Maximoff in what’s expected to be an alternate reality of her own making. In this world, she lives the happy life of a sitcom wife and mother. And one of those magically concocted kids will be none other than a young Wiccan. Wiccan in the comics is one of Marvel’s most popular gay superheroes. But with production for that series postponed, thanks to COVID-19, we’ll have to wait to see Wiccan’s origin story.
In addition, The Eternals, which was directed by Chloé Zhao, will see the first openly LGBTQ superhero in MCU history. It’s already been confirmed that Brian Tyree Henry’s Phastos will not only be openly gay but married and a father. But that, hopefully, won’t stop Phastos from being a superhero in his own right in the ensemble film.
Then after that, Thor: Love And Thunder, which will be directed by Taika Waititi, will debut in 2022. Standing alongside Thor will be the new Asgardian ruler Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson). And as Thompson announced at San Diego Comic-Con, Valkirye will be looking for a queen in the fourth Thor movie.
So worry not LGBTQ media fans, there will be a gay superhero on the horizon. And though Daniels may not get to do it first, there will be Black gay heroes on our screens no matter what.
Source: Insider
