It took 22 movies for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to introduce its first queer character. However, during Phase Four, there have been some other additions to the LGBTQ community. If you’re interested to know every queer character in the MCU, from the smallest to the biggest role, carry on reading. In the end, we also present possible future additions to the community.
All LGBTQ Characters in the MCU So Far
Valkyrie
Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) is canonically bisexual in the comics and Thompson has been vocal about her character’s bisexuality. However, a scene that confirms the character’s queerness was cut from Thor: Ragnarok in 2017 keeping her sexuality in the closet.
In Thor: Love and Thunder, Korg confirms that Valkyrie is queer by addressing that she is sad and drinks because she lost her girlfriend in battle. Yet, all the promises of Valkyrie looking for a queen were just promises and not delivered on screen.
Sylvie and Loki
The God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) has long been canonically bisexual and genderfluid in the comics, yet it’s only confirmed on the screen during his show, Loki. The same goes for his female variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino).
Their sexualities are confirmed when they have a conversation about their love lives and Sylvie asks Loki: “You’re a prince. Must have been would-be-princesses. Or perhaps another prince?” to which he replies: “A bit of both. I suspect the same as you”. For now, this is all we got from the first openly queer MCU lead character.
Phastos and Ben
In 2021, Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) became the first openly gay Marvel superhero to appear on the big screen when he made his debut in Eternals, with the character even having a husband (Ben who’s played by Haaz Sleiman) and a son. Not only was this the first time the MCU showcased a same-sex family, but it was also the first gay kiss shown on screen. Furthermore, the whole arc is very authentic and emotional, as it’s thanks to Ben’s love that Phastos restores his faith in humanity.
Yukio and Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Yukio (Shioli Kutsuna) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) made their debut as a lesbian couple in Deadpool 2. Though not in the MCU at the time, with Deadpool 3 underway, they could be the first lesbian couple in the multiverse. Even though they are supporting characters, they have space to make explicit references to their queerness as they say they are a couple and hold hands.
America’s Moms
Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness introduces America’s moms, Elena Chavez (Ruth Livier) and Amalia Chavez (Chess Lopez), who are undeniably together and queer. They appear for a brief moment and don’t talk to each other, so we don’t have too much of an indication on their personalities or relationship, but hopefully we can see them in future MCU titles.
Ayo and Aneka
Back in 2018, with the release of Black Panther, controversy sparked regarding a deleted scene featuring Ayo (Florence Kasumba) flirting with a female general. However, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ayo’s queerness is made official.
Throughout the movie, it’s implied that the veteran and a new Dora Milaje warrior Aneka (Michaela Coel), are in a relationship. Their relationship is translated on-screen as them bantering with each other, sharing an embrace, and Aneka kissing Ayo’s forehead. In the comics, their love is forbidden, while in the MCU, it’s not the case.
Korg and Dwayne
In Thor: Love and Thunder, Korg (Taika Waititi) shares that on his planet, two males come together over a volcano and, by holding hands, conceive a baby. Then, we get to see him settling down and having a baby with Dwayne (Dave Cory).
Jeri Hogarth
After Daredevil appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, a number of doors were opened that could include the appearance of Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss). She was first introduced in the Netflix show, Daredevil, and carried on to star in Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. Jeri is openly lesbian and has had many relationships throughout the shows. So, technically, she’s the first queer character introduced in the MCU.
Wendy Conrad
This is one of those fleeting mentions that you could miss if you’re distracted. Wendy (Adetinpo Thomas) is an NYC cop that helps Clint and Kate in the Disney+ show Hawkeye. We know she’s queer because she mentions her wife.
Nikki Ramos
In She-Hulk, as Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga) helps Jen set up a dating app profile, she comments that “hetero life is grim” as she goes through the choices of men on the app. The fans speculated about her queerness, and Gonzaga confirmed it and even mentioned “a secret crush on Mallory.” At the same time, Gonzaga is bisexual herself making her an addition to the MCU’s LGBTQ community.
Mr. Immortal
In She-Hulk, Mr. Immortal is one of Jen Walter’s cases, as he fakes his death every time a relationship gets too serious or too boring for him. There’s one man among the group of exes that are suing Mr. Immortal (David Pasquesi), which confirms his bisexuality.
Future LGBTQ Possibilities According to the Comics
The following mentions are of characters who are queer in the comics and have already been introduced in the MCU but have yet to be confirmed as part of the LGBTQ community.
Deadpool
In the comics, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is pansexual and has flirted with Thor, Spider-Man, and even unicorns. However, in the movies, we only see him having heterosexual experiences with no one other than his girlfriend, Vanessa.
While Deadpool is extremely funny and flirtatious, his queerness is not explicit, and Ryan Reynold has also called for the character’s queerness to be translated into actions on the screen. With the new sequel coming up and with no Vanessa around, we might get to see the character explore the other sides of his sexuality.
Wiccan and Speed
Wiccan and Speed are introduced in WandaVision as Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne). In the comics, Wiccan is canonically gay and marries Hulkling, while Speed is canonically bisexual. As kids, their sexuality is not explored on the show, yet this could change once they grow up and become part of the Young Avengers.
America
America (Xochitl Gomez) was the first openly lesbian character to lead a comic book series, and she could be the first MCU lesbian superhero. However, in her debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, she wears an LGBTQ pin but does not explore her sexuality. Seeing that she has an iconic flirty personality in the comics, it would be interesting to see that brought over to the big screen.
We’ve reached the end of our list of every queer character in the MCU. Be sure to read our other articles on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
About the author
