Marvel StudiosEndgame directing duo the Russo brothers have said one of the current Marvel characters is secretly gay.
Despite its inclusivity of various beings from across the universe, Marvel has been criticised in the past for the lack of LGBT+ representation in its films.
The recently released Avengers: Endgame was the first Disney-Marvel movie to introduce an openly gay character, played by one half of the Russo brothers, Joe.
Joe made his cameo towards the beginning of the film, when we saw what the world was like five years after Thanos’ snap. Captain America was at a support group, where one of the other attendees, played by Joe, talked about going on his first date since losing his male partner.
Though the character only made a brief appearance, it’s still a step in the right direction.
Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesSpeaking about the scene to Entertainment Weekly, Joe said:
It was an integral scene to show how the world was reacting to what happened in at the end of Infinity War.
Although the man from the support group is the only openly gay character seen so far in a Marvel film, the Russo brothers have implied another character will soon be revealed to be gay.
When asked about Joe’s character, the directors emphasised that yes, he is the first ‘openly gay’ character.
Joe went on:
There’ve been insinuations about other characters’ sexuality, but this is the first openly gay character.
The interviewer then went on to ask the director who else is gay, even if not ‘openly’, to which Joe responded:
Uhhh. We’re gonna find out!
His brother, Anthony, added:
That’s a story for another day.
Last summer, before the release of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spoke with Gregory Ellwood, of The Playlist, about the introduction of more LGBT+ characters.
He said said two openly gay characters would be revealed, adding ‘both ones you’ve seen and ones you haven’t seen’.
Joe’s Endgame character was presumably the one we hadn’t seen before, again suggesting one of the pre-existing characters will soon come out of the closet.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Joe has said we shouldn’t have to wait long for the revelation, saying:
There is a gay character coming up in one of their films, and I think Kevin will make that announcement, I’m sure pretty soon.
Only time will tell which character it will be!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.