Marvel is clearly trying to make inclusion and representation their top priority heading into Phase 4. Studio president Kevin Feige has been more than clear about that, as has Captain Marvel star Brie Larson. Not to mention that the upcoming flick The Eternals is set to feature the studio’s first openly gay character, as well as breaking several other barriers with even more diverse superheroes.
There are those, however, who don’t want to see the franchise move in the right direction. Just ask the person who told Kristen Stewart not to hold her girlfriend’s hand in public if she wanted a role in a Marvel film.
“I have fully been told, ‘If you just like do yourself a favor, and don’t go out holding your girlfriend’s hand in public, you might get a Marvel movie,” said the actress in a recent interview.
The Charlie’s Angels star went on to say that she’d never want to work with people like that. While this bigotry may not represent Feige’s beliefs, there’s clearly still a negative stereotype associated with the studio that primarily features white, heterosexual men at the forefront. The franchise is trying to become more inclusive, as mentioned above, but it still has a long way to go if people are making comments like this.
It’s already well-known, thanks to Armie Hammer, that the Chairman of Marvel Entertainment Isaac Perlmutter is one of Donald Trump’s largest financial contributors, and the ultra-conservative administration isn’t exactly known for its groundbreaking pro-LGBTQ initiatives. In fact, they often fight to try to take rights away from people who fall under that category. It therefore makes sense that Perlmutter and anyone else who thinks like him would have a hard time ever hiring a woman who dates other women and refuses to define her sexuality.
Of course, the best way Marvel can prove that this isn’t the prevailing sentiment inside their own headquarters is to offer Kristen Stewart a role. That would silence all of those who still think the studio isn’t as progressive as they claim to be, while also enhancing the franchise due to the actress’s evident talent. In the meantime, the 29-year-old will keep living her life regardless of what ignoramuses have to say to her.