Earlier today, we shared the words of MCU President of Production Kevin Feige with you.
In an interview with The Playlist, Feige shared that there will be both new and old LGBTQ characters showing up in upcoming Marvel films.
We’ve already talked about who these already seen LGBTQ characters will most likely be, but we’d also like to talk about who these possible new characters could be.
Let’s be honest, there aren’t a lot of LGBTQ characters in Marvel Comics. On top of that, a lot of the well-known characters belong to the X-Men and thus Fox. While Disney is in the middle of acquiring 20th Century Fox (and thus the X-Men/Fantastic Four/Deadpool), the deal isn’t set yet.
Even if Disney/Marvel does acquire the rights to LGBTQ characters like Deadpool, Iceman, Northstar, Mystique, and more, Feige hasn’t set any plans in stone until the deal is confirmed.
So, what LGBTQ superheros are left if you cut out those currently owned by Fox? Well, we’ve listed a few possible characters down below.
Living Lightning (Miguel Santos)
Last November, we shared with you that the comic book version of the Avengers would be gaining a new gay Latino teammate.
Miguel Santos or “Living Lightning” joined the Avengers during the “No Surrender” storyline in Avengers issues #675-#690.
“We [were looking] for an entry-level character, a person who makes sense coming into the world of the Avengers and, to some degree, being the viewpoint of the reader,” editor Tom Breevort told Comic Book Resources concerning the “No Surrender” storyline.
“He’s suddenly been thrown into the deep end as one of the key players in trying to keep the world safe and deal with these massive crises that the Avengers deal with,” Breevort adds. “He gets to see that from a ground level and very human perspective… This isn’t a level that Miguel is used to or comfortable with having to work on.”
With Living Lightning now having precedent as an Avenger in the comics, there is a pathway for the character to appear on the big screen.
Ms. America (America Chavez)
Kevin Feige has previously stated that he’s interested in introducing legacy heroes (the next generation of Marvel Comics superheros) to MCU fans. He’s previously mentioned that he "is definitely sort of" working on introducing Muslim superhero Miss Marvel to the movie franchise, but what if she acted as the gateway superhero to other, more LGBTQ, characters?
For instance, America Chavez, sometimes known as Ms. America, would be a great character to explore.
America is a queer Latina teenager with lesbian parents. She debuted in 2011 and was celebrated by comic fans.
America’s superpowers include creating dimension portals, flight, invulnerability, and super-strength.
Queer Latina writer Gabby Rivera said that Chavez is:
“A foxy, badass, hard femme Latina who dates women and punches into other dimensions.”
Rivera added: “She’s also strong like, ‘could probably win in a fight with The Rock’ kind of strong.
“But they’d probably never fight each other because The Rock isn’t like that, and they’d just end up being best friends.”
Hulkling (Teddy Altman)
Along with Chavez, we could get fellow openly LGBTQ Young Avenger Hulkling. The teenaged transformer can shift his body into a hulk-like appearance that helps him beat up villains and enemies with little problem.
With rumors of a possible “Secret Invasion” storyline taking over Phase 4 or later of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having this alien prince placed into Marvel movies would make sense.
Wiccan (Billy Kaplan)
Then, of course, if you have the Hulkling, you’d have to have his iconic boyfriend Wiccan.
Billy Kaplan is the son of the Scarlet Witch and Vision in the comics. With how the MCU has set up that relationship, this backstory for Wiccan could still be plausible (but it could also be retconned).
No matter what Feige and team choose for Wiccan’s backstory, the magic user would still remain a prominent member of Legacy Heroes team the Young Avengers. He is also the other half of one of the most iconic gay couples in comics.
In addition, Kaplan’s childhood of being bullied because of his sexuality could lead to great representation for younger viewers of the Marvel movies.
With this confirmation from Kevin Feige that even more LGBTQ characters are appearing on the big screen, we hope that includes new LGBTQ superheroes.
Who do you think will be included in this group of new LGBTQ characters in the MCU? Do you agree with our list or do you have someone else in mind? Let us know down in the comment below.
