The first few Phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe came under fire for not embracing diversity enough, but it looks like that's going to change in Phase 4. Eternals will feature an openly gay superhero, while there are a larger number of diverse faces both behind and in front of the camera thanks to projects like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
During a recent interview with Variety, Thor: Love and Thunder star Tessa Thompson addressed the future of representation in the MCU. In that movie, Valkyrie will be portrayed as an openly gay woman, and it's been confirmed that she's going to be looking for the Queen to her King (of Asgard).
"I think in this next phase of Marvel, we're really talking about what representation looks like in those spaces," Thompson started. "Because the truth is these movies travel globally in such huge ways, and if you can represent people that are of color, if you can represent people with disabilities, if you can represent the LGBTQIA community inside of these films, it's a pretty big deal."
"There's millions and millions of people, particularly young people, that show up to the cinema. And I think if you can show them something that looks like them, they feel valued. Particularly inside of these narratives of the comic books, that's what it's all about. It’s that our differences make us special."
The actress went on to talk about what that representation for her character means, noting: "I'm really excited that we're able to continue to push the bounds of that and that I'm able to do that with Valkyrie, because there's so many cool queer characters in the comic books and they should have a place on-screen."
It's certainly going to be interesting to see how Marvel Studios handles Valkyrie's story arc moving forward, and how these upcoming movies tackle diversity in a way that represent today's world.
What do you think?
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