Over the past several years, we’ve seen more fans demand inclusivity out of the films and TV series coming from Marvel Studios. After a decade of heroes dominated by straight white men, it isn’t until recently that we’ve seen the studio make more overt efforts to be more inclusive with LGBTQ representation, specifically. And according to Marvel Studios executive, Victoria Alonso, wants fans to know that more inclusive stories and characters are coming, even if it takes longer than folks would like.
READ MORE: ‘Loki’ Director Kate Herron Confirms Loki’s Bisexuality Teased In This Week’s Episode
Speaking to Variety, Alonso spoke about the effort being made to include more LGBTQ characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“It takes time, we have so many stories that we can tell,” Alonso said. “We will empower those that are. We’re not changing anything. We’re just showing the world who these people are, who these characters are…There’s a lot that we have coming up that I think will be representative of the world of today. We’re not going to nail it in the first movie or the second movie or third movie, or the first show or second show, but we will do our best to consistently try to represent.”
Of course, the most recent example of LGBTQ representation came in “Loki,” where the main character (played by Tom Hiddleston) alludes to his own bisexuality. That’s a fact that has been commonly known in the comics but never mentioned in the MCU, until the series itself discussed it. But as surprising as that revelation might have been for fans of the character, Alonso said it wasn’t all that difficult to make happen.
“I have to be honest with you, it’s not a big deal,” she said. “It is what it is when it suits the character. We’re not going to do it because it’s politically correct or incorrect. It is what it is. Don’t forget, we follow our comics. We try to follow them quite to the tee. So in the comics this is who he was.”
READ MORE: Marvel Phase 4: The Films & Shows That Will Lead The MCU Into The Future
As for future bits of representation, the biggest is expected to be in “Eternals,” where Marvel Studios is expected to have one of the main characters be an openly gay man. Though Alonso seemingly would like to downplay the significance as part of a bigger plan by the studio to be more inclusive, it’s still happening more than a decade after “Iron Man” debuted in 2008. So, it’s a big step for the MCU and Marvel Studios, as a whole, and if Alonso is to be believed, a sign of bigger things to come.
“Loki” is currently airing new episodes on Disney+, and “Eternals” is expected to arrive in theaters on November 5.