Anthony Russo playing a gay man (the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first) in
Avengers: Endgame received something of a mixed response, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has since confirmed that
Eternals will feature an openly gay superhero. That's a big step in the right direction for fans hoping for more representation in this shared world, and more could be coming.
During a recent interview, Feige was asked if we could specifically see a transgender character in the MCU down the line and he pointed to that happening sooner rather than later.
"Yes, absolutely, yes, very soon, in a movie that we’re shooting right now," he said.
The only movie that's shooting right now is
Eternals, but there's a chance he may have misspoke, especially as there were rumours over the summer than
Thor: Love and Thunder will feature a transgender woman (who may or may not end up being Valkyrie's love interest).
We'll have to wait and see, but the MCU is clearly going to be a far more diverse place in future and one that reflects the real world to a much larger extent.
Supergirl has done a successful job of using a transgender superhero to great effect, and Marvel Studios would definitely benefit from following in the DC TV show's footsteps in that respect.
What are your thoughts on these comments from Feige?
Hit the "View List" button to find out who we think
should be Valkyrie's Queen in Thor: Love and Thunder!
Angela
Despite first appearing in Todd McFarlane's
Spawn, a legal battle between him and Neil Gaiman resulted in the latter winning and selling the rights for the character to Marvel. Angela was then introduced as Thor's long lost sister and an inhabitant of a tenth realm known as "Heven."
It should be easy to see how that could be incorporated into
Thor: Love and Thunder, and a subplot with Valkyrie travelling there for any number of reasons could be how she and her future Queen meet! While her comic book adventures quickly lost steam, there's a lot of potential for Angela on the big screen and Waititi could also do an awful lot with the hero in terms of visuals.
Monica Rambeau
We met the young Monica Rambeau in
Captain Marvel, and Teyonah Parris will play an adult version of the character in
WandaVision. Assuming she gets powers there, Monica could easily make the leap to the
Thor franchise, possibly as someone sent to investigate what's going on with New Asgard (the prevailing theory is that she works for the government in some capacity).
From there, romance could easily blossom between these two uneasy allies, and it would certainly be an interesting way to give Monica a much larger role in the MCU moving forward.
Sif
The last time we saw Sif, she was pining for Thor and dropping off one of the Infinity Stones with The Collector. She's been M.I.A. since then and fans are desperate to see her return to the MCU.
While she was seemingly straight the last time we saw her, who knows what Sif has been through since then, and her coming out and realising she's gay could be a really interesting and very topical subject for Marvel Studios to tackle in
Thor: Love and Thunder. Valkyrie and Sif would make for one hell of a power couple and an undeniably formidable duo.
Jane Foster
Bear with us here, as this is definitely something we could see in the movie. As of right now, we don't know for sure if the film will delve into Jane Foster's battle with breast cancer, but despite her condition, soon after she transformed into Thor in the comics she embarked on a relationship with Sam Wilson.
With that in mind, who's to say she couldn't find romance with Valkyrie? Again, she's a woman who's previously had a romantic interest in men, but that doesn't mean she can't be open to dating a woman! From a comedic standpoint, it would be great seeing Thor's reaction to this!
Okoye
Okoye is definitely one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's breakout characters, and fans want to see more of her on the big screen moving forward. While that will undoubtedly happen in
Black Panther II, who's to say that some sort of trade deal between Wakanda and New Asgard couldn't be established in
Thor: Love and Thunder?
Regardless of how the two nations come together, it would be fascinating to learn more about Okoye's personal life - but is she really going to be open to being anyone's Queen? She's such a strong character, it seems doubtful, but it would be fun seeing her and Valkyrie going on a date!
Darcy
Kat Dennings' Darcy will return to the MCU for the first time since 2013's
Thor: The Dark World when she appears in
WandaVision. Another character whose personal life has remained off screen, it would be a lot of fun seeing her re-enter the God of Thunder's world alongside Jane Foster and striking up an unexpected connection with Valkyrie in the process.
This would definitely be a very unexpected relationship, but Darcy is a character with a lot of fans and it would be nice to see her used as more than just comic relief if she returns here.
Miss America
There have been rumours for a while now that America Chavez is coming to the MCU, and it's something that has fans seriously excited. One of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, she also has the ability to hop between realities and is a member of the Young Avengers (a team who are reportedly on their way to this shared world).
Miss America is also openly gay. It's hard to say how she could find her way on to Valkyrie's radar, but this is a couple whose dynamic it would be fun to explore.
Phyla-Vell
Part-Kree and part-Titanian, Phyla-Vell is the daughter of Mar-Vell, a.k.a. the original Captain Marvel. That character was gender-swapped in the MCU but that doesn't mean she couldn't have been Phyla-Vell's mother! One of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, her arriving in this shared world would be a great way to tie current events into Captain Marvel.
She's been a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and once held the Captain Marvel moniker, and has also gone by the Quasar name in recent years. Waititi could do a whole lot with this hero in
Thor: Love and Thunder and she would undoubtedly be a good match for Valkyrie.
Mantis
Thor became a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of
Avengers: Endgame, and it's safe to assume he's visited New Asgard with his fellow team members over the past few years.
During that time, Valkyrie could have easily grown close with Mantis, and while they would definitely make for something of an odd couple, something tells us this relationship could be a lot of fun.
Moondragon
In the comics, Drax was a human who ended up being reborn as an alien, and Heather Douglas was his daughter in that previous life. She went with him on a number of cosmic adventures and later became a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, so it's easy to see how the hero could fit into the MCU (especially as rumours are pointing to Drax meeting his daughter in
Vol. 3).
Another openly gay character in the Marvel Universe, the timing may not work here as the threequel is likely to come after
Thor: Love and Thunder, but given the God of Thunder's connection to the Guardians, there are certainly more than a few ways this could end up working.
Who do you guys think would be a fitting choice to be Valkyrie's Queen in Thor: Love and Thunder? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.