There was a lot of movie in the three-hour money-gobbler that was Avengers: Endgame, so perhaps you missed this: Buried in the early stretch was the MCU’s first openly gay character. He wasn’t a major player; he was some rando in Captain America’s group therapy for the post-snap world. He spoke movingly, yet casually, about his missed same-sex partner, and no one batted an eye. Some saw it as a major moment for inclusivity; others saw it as not enough, and maybe even questionable — perhaps Marvel cynically kowtowing to special interest groups by doing the bare minimum.
Well, looks like that was just the beginning. Writers-directors Joe and Anthony Russo were on EW Morning Live to discuss the number one movie in the world. At one point they specifically discussed the big little scene in question. Co-host Dalton Ross asked them to clarify that this incredibly minor character was indeed the mega-franchise’s first gay character.
“Yes, openly gay,” Joe said, stressing the “openly” part. “There’ve been insinuations about other characters’ sexuality, but this is the first openly gay character.” When asked which one, Joe stammered before saying, “We’re gonna find out!” Then everyone moved on.
Marvel top brass has long promised LGBTQ characters would come to the MCU. As recently as March, one exec was saying they were looking for an openly gay male actor to play one of their future superheroes, implying that said character would be a gay male, too.
But the Russo brothers are talking about an already-established character. So it looks like we have to play a game of “Who is it?” Is it Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, who we already know, courtesy of a deleted Thor: Ragnarok scene, liked girls, though also boys? Is it Bucky, the subject of much bunking-with-Steve Rogers fan-fic that you can easily find on Google? (If so, that means the poor guy was jilted for Peggy Carter.) Or maybe it’s a non-superhero character, like, oh, let’s say T.I.’s Harris from the Ant-Man wing.
Whoever it turns out to be, this is preferable to J.K. Rowling’s much-debated habit of talking about Albus Dumbledore’s secret homosexuality, which she’ll never depict in any depth in the Harry Potter-verse books or movies. In the meantime, Joe Russo swears the answer’s forthcoming. “There is a gay character coming up in one of their films,” Joe said, “and I think Kevin will make that announcement, I’m sure pretty soon.”
(Via EW)