Will we see a trans character in the MCU at some point?
By Sabrina Reed
A trans character will not be entering the MCU soon, but thanks to Kevin Feige’s flub, maybe we’ll see one at some point.
Before 2019 came to a close, President of Marvel and Marvel Studios Chief Creative Officer, Kevin Feige, appeared to slip in a tease for trans inclusion in the MCU. The opportunity was served up thanks to a Q&A held by the New York Film Academy, at which Feige was a guest speaker.
A fan asked, “Are there any current plans on bringing more LGBTQ+ characters into the MCU, specifically the T — the trans characters?”
Feige responded, “Yes. Absolutely. Yes. Very soon. In a movie we’re shooting right now,” which is an encouraging answer for those looking to see more diversity among the cast of heroes and characters currently on the MCU’s roster.
Media outlets began breaking the news of a trans character entering the MCU. It looked like Marvel was going to be taking a very big swing at providing representation for the gay, bisexual, and trans communities in the next phase of their film franchise through Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and whichever upcoming movie the trans character would be in.
For a few days, Marvel fans had the opportunity to wonder how the MCU would handle a trans character. Marvel Studios hasn’t had a stellar track record when it comes to hype surrounding the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ character in their blockbuster films. There doesn’t seem to be a standard for Marvel, or its parent company ABC-Disney, when it comes to laudable efforts concerning LGBTQ+ representation. There was understandable backlash when the MCU’s first openly gay character was a part of a shoe-horned in scene where Steve Rogers led grief counseling for those left behind after the “snap.”
Grieving Man, as he’s billed on IMDb, was played by Joe Russo, and though the inclusion of a gay man’s struggle to move on after the loss of a loved one is notable, it wasn’t the kind of role one would have expected to be hyped — yet it was. The Star Wars franchise had it’s first same-sex couple and kiss in Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker but that, too, was met with backlash because it was inclusion hyped without consideration to substantive representation.
When representation is hyped, audiences assume the role is going to be of significance beyond being a reflection of the world. It’s not that people don’t want to see minorities in the background or in minor roles. It’s that, when a group of underrepresented people talk about wanting to see themselves, their lives, and their families in media, they mean in central roles. Marvel fans, however, will have to wait to see a trans character enter the MCU, regardless of if the role is substantive or not.
Two sources close to Marvel Studios told Variety that “Feige only intended to respond to the first part about LGBT+ characters, and he did not mean to imply that a trans character will be coming to the MCU ‘very soon.’”
While this clarification is important, the genie is out of the bottle and the ball is now in Marvel’s court. If fans weren’t thinking about trans inclusion in the Marvel film franchise before, they are now. Whether that character comes sooner rather than later is up to Marvel but there will be the expectation from some fans that the company will honor the T in LGBTQ+ at some point.
But, first, fingers crossed that Marvel casts a trans actor to play this role whenever they do include a trans character in the MCU. You’d think that’d be a given considering the amount of times Hollywood has opened that particular can of worms, but you never know.
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