Marvel is finally giving fans the LGBTQ+ representation they’ve been asking for

Marvel fans who have been less than thrilled with the franchise’s lack of major LGBTQ+ characters have something to look forward to heading into Phase 4.

Marvel has been steadily working toward making its large cast of superheroes more inclusive, something that numerous fans have been rallying for in recent years. In 2018, we saw a black superhero take a leading role on the big screen in Black Panther, and 2019 brought Marvel’s first female-led film to theaters. But the MCU is sadly still lacking when it comes to its LGBTQ+ characters.

Fans have repeatedly criticized the fact that no one in the MCU appears to be LGBTQ+, and they were especially disappointed when we were told a gay character would appear in Avengers: Endgame — only to have that character have about thirty seconds of screen time and play a fairly insignificant role in the grand scheme of the film.

But Marvel released its plans for Phase 4 during San Diego Comic-Con this year, and it also revealed that the franchise will see much bigger LGBTQ+ storylines going forward. Specifically, Kevin Feige confirmed that Valkyrie, a character who many fans already assumed was bisexual, will have a queer storyline during Thor: Love and Thunder.

This is huge news, especially considering Valkyrie is now the king of Asgard. We can assume she’ll play a major role in Phase 4, and that means we’ll have a female character of color — who also dates women — as one of the leading MCU heroes. Talk about a leap in the right direction.

“In her first day as king of Asgard, I think Valkyrie has to find her queen,” actress Tessa Thompson told the audience at the panel on Saturday. “She has a few ideas.”

We’re excited to see who she chooses to sit beside her on the Asgardian throne. Feige also told Collider that we’ll see another character in the LGBTQ+ community during The Eternals, though he didn’t provide much more information than that.

Looking at the lineup for Phase 4, it appears that Marvel has been taking fans’ criticism seriously. We’ll be seeing heroes from a far wider range of backgrounds as we move into the future phases of the MCU, and we have to admit, we’re pretty thrilled about it.

Are you excited to see the MCU introduce new LGBTQ+ storylines during Phase 4? Share your thoughts in the comments.