As well as everything else it did, Avengers: Endgame also broke new ground by featuring the MCU’s first ever openly gay character. During the scene which sees Steve Rogers leading a support group for the survivors of the Snap, an unnamed man played by co-director Joe Russo talks about going on his first date in five years, with it casually mentioned that this date was with another man.
The moment has received a mixed response from fans, with some applauding the Russos for finally doing what the previous 21 films never did while others think the minor character was too little at this late stage and doesn’t warrant celebration. Whatever side of the argument you fall on, it can only be good news that Joe Russo has now confirmed another gay character is coming to the MCU. And this one’s bound to be more significant, as the director expects Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to make an official announcement about it soon.
“There is a gay character coming up in one of their films. I think Kevin [Feige] will make that announcement, I’m sure, pretty soon.”
Those keeping up with their MCU news will know that Russo must be talking about the lead of The Eternals, Chloe Zhao’s film starring Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden. We’ve heard that Marvel’s looking for a gay actor of Asian descent to play the franchise’s first LGBT lead character, and while Russo’s cameo was a step in the right direction, this is much more what the fans are calling out for. Thankfully, it sounds like we might get additional info on the character in a short while.
We hope that Russo’s comment about a single gay character coming to the franchise soon doesn’t just mean that this Eternals lead is the extent of Marvel’s plans for LGBT representation in the MCU, though. After all, Feige has promised on multiple occasions that diversity is the name of the game post-Avengers: Endgame, so let’s hope he follows through on that.