There is no shortage of diverse heroes in the Marvel Comics Universe. From wall-crawling web slingers to Wakandan princes, Marvel has given a home to characters from all sorts of races and backgrounds. Among them are members of the LGBTQ community.
As the Marvel universe (and our own) continues to champion diverse stories and characters, now is the time to focus on those unique characters. Otherwise obscure characters can (and should) have their time in the spotlight if simply to tell their story. Here are 10 LGBTQ Marvel heroes that deserve their own movie!
Korg
Made popular from his first cinematic appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, the lovable Korg (voiced by Taika Waititi in the film) is canonically gay in the comics. An ally of the Hulk and fellow gladiator combatant on Sakaar, Korg proves to be a valuable and capable fighter. Who does he fight for? His “beloved”, who is revealed to be a fellow gladiator fighting alongside them.
Given that Korg has already appeared in the MCU and the attention his character received, it is not impossible to say he could one day get a spin-off film. A stretch for sure, but not out of the cards. It would be a chance to showcase more of Waititi’s legendary humor and wit, and would be a less polarizing LGBT centric film for many MCU fans to enjoy.
Miss America (America Chavez)
A member of the Young Avengers, America Chavez (alias “Miss America”) made headlines when she debuted as the first lesbian Latina character to headline their own comic series in 2017. With superhuman strength, speed, flight, and dimensional portals, she is both a well-rounded character and an exemplary hero. She is also proudly out as a lesbian woman, and is not afraid of hiding who she is or who she loves.
In addition to showing one of the bright new faces of Marvel Comics, America Chavez would make for an excellent film subject. Being raised by LGBT parents who sacrificed themselves to save their daughter from their collapsing dimension is pure storytelling gold. Her origin story stakes are extremely high, and having her showcase a proud and out Latina women would help bolster the diversity of the MCU roster immensely.
Ice Man (Bobby Drake)
X-Men’s Bobby Drake has had multiple girlfriends over his storied comic book history. So fans were shocked when a young Jean Grey and a young Bobby Drake displaced from time revealed that the character has been closeted gay his entire life. While there was a little controversy in that Bobby was outed as opposed to COMING out, the fact remains that the character has now evolved to be an out and proud gay man.
Bobby Drake has been featured in the X-Men films already. As we keep getting closer to the current X-Men roster, it gives more opportunities for Bobby to showcase himself apart from the group. While it could still be an ensemble picture, having an X-Men film with Iceman as a more prominent figure would help introduce him better to audiences, especially given the multiple dualities of him feeling he can’t “fit in” (being a mutant and also being closeted).
Wiccan & Hulkling (Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman)
As two of the founding members of the Young Avengers team, Billy and Teddy (aka Wiccan and Hulkling) quickly find an intense chemistry with one another. With Billy’s reality-warping powers (similar to the Scarlett Witch) and Teddy’s shape-shifting Skrull DNA, the two make a formidable team. It’s not long before the young couple starts dating, and even less time before the two are engaged.
What’s wonderful about Billy and Teddy’s relationship is that it is one of commitment. Commitment to each other, to their team, and to being what the other person needs. When Billy falls into a months long depression, it is Teddy who is there to pull him out of it. The two make a great team, and it’s one that would make for an excellent story in the MCU.
Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)
A fellow X-Men member alongside Bobby Drake, Jean-Paul Beaubier (aka Northstar) is a mutant with the power of enhanced speed and flight. He is considered one of the fastest and toughest mutants in the Marvel Universe, potentially rivaling Quicksilver. For years his character was alluded to being gay, with his character finally coming out in 1992’s Alpha Flight #106. He eventually married boyfriend Kyle Jinadu, making comic history as the first ever depiction of a same-sex wedding in mainstream comics.
Not only is Northstar one of the first openly LGBTQ characters in comic history, but he comes with years of exciting comic history to draw from. Between his powers and his troubled backstory filled with death, terrorism, and extreme sports, he’s got all the makings of a blockbuster superhero. Adding in the side story of him getting the guy would not only help validate the characters long LGBT legacy, but it would also make for a worthwhile story to watch.
Nico Minoru and Karolina Dean (The Runaways)
Marvel’s Runaways comic series has grown immensely popular lately due to the recent Hulu adaptation. The children of supervillains discover their parents’ evil intents and run away, discovering powers and abilities along the way. Among them are Karolina Dean and Nico Minoru. While the two run in circles deciding how they feel, eventually the two get their act together and start a relationship.
It is unlikely that we will see actresses Lyrica Okano and Virginia Gardener play these characters in any live action adaptation outside of the show. However, the couple has already brought a breath of fresh air to season 2 of the show and was one of the best parts of season 1. Okano and Gardener showcase extremely well how the chemistry between the characters would work on screen, and how great a film starring their characters would be.
Loki
While Loki has traditionally been a villainous foil to Thor, recent comic changes have him in a young, heroic role instead. The Norse trickster god is still immensely powerful, and still carries familiar aspects of his personality. One of these traits is his canonical bisexuality and gender sexuality. Loki has had relationships with male and female characters and has been comfortable presenting in male and female genders.
Tom Hiddleston’s MCU version of Loki is immensely popular. There has been massive demand over the years for a stand-alone Loki film outside of the Thor franchise. Showcasing the different aspects of Loki’s character would be tantamount to the films’ success; in particular, showcasing his sexuality and gender fluidity would help to fully explore the character fans have grown to love over the years.
Mystique
Mystique is more villain than hero, but recent comic series have had her play the hero role a bit more than usual. She is canonically bisexual and gender fluid, having had multiple partners over the years. She is shown extremely early on in her career with a female partner, a mutant named Destiny. It was confirmed by former X-Men writer Chris Claremont that she and Destiny were supposed to be the biological parents of Nightcrawler as well, but was shut down to the policy from the Comics Code Authority at the time.
As a character always intended to be part of the LGBTQ community, Mystique’s story is even more layered and diverse than it already was. Given Jennifer Lawerence’s popularity in the role in the recent X-Men franchise, it would be easy to have a stand-alone Mystique film with her starring in it. While we have only seen Lawerence as Mystique in a heterosexual relationship, showcasing her in a same-sex relationship would be simple and believable.
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
In the Ultimate universe, Peter Parker ends up with a female clone of himself named Jessica Drew. This clone shares all the same powers and abilities he does, making her a perfect crime-fighting hero. Among one of the many things she shares with Peter is sexual preference; Jessica comes out as gay to her teammates in All-New Ultimates #4.
After the success of Into the Spider-Verse, there is a huge demand for unique and different Spider-Man stories. Seeing yet another origin story for Peter Parker has been done so many times already; seeing one for Jessica Drew would be breaking the mold entirely. Given that she is literally just a female Peter Parker, she would feel familiar to audiences while telling a unique story with a unique perspective.
Valkyrie
While Thor may be one of the toughest Avengers, even he knows that going toe-to-toe with Valkyrie is bad news. The female Asgardian and Norse goddess is a powerful warrior, trained in combat and lethal to her enemies. She is also confirmed bisexual, having entered a brief romance with mortal scientist Annabelle Riggs.
After seeing Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok, fans immediately latched on to the fact that both actress Tessa Thompson and her character are bisexual women. Quite literally stealing the show at the end, Valkyrie has yet to make an appearance in the MCU since Ragnarok. Along with a stand-alone Loki film, a stand-alone Valkyrie film would prove to be insanely popular and would give fans demanding more of Thompson something to keep coming back to in the MCU, especially given that a scene confirming her bisexuality ended up on the cutting room floor.
