As a company, Disney may be known for many things, but inclusivity isn't always one of them. While the company has featured more female filmmakers and more racially diverse casts in recent years, the entertainment giant has recently come under fire for the relative lack of LGBTQ+ representation in two major releases, Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
While both films were partially billed as having the first openly LGBTQ+ characters in their respective cinematic franchises, the LGBTQ+ aspects of both films only appeared in fleeting moments that were easy to miss. In Endgame, Joe Russo, one of the film's co-directors, plays a minor character in Captain America's support group towards the beginning of the movie, in which his character talks about going on his first date since losing his male partner.
Towards the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Resistance Commander Larma D'Acy shares a quick kiss with her wife, Lieutenant Wrobie Tyce, whose name is only revealed in a tie-in book. The kiss is so fleeting that it was easily removed for international markets like Dubai and Singapore without affecting the over-arching plot.
While those examples don't come close to delivering on the representation that was promised, Disney is already reportedly making efforts to include far more meaningful LGBTQ+ content. During a Q&A session at the New York Film Academy, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently confirmed that a trans character will make an appearance in an upcoming MCU film. When a fan asked if any trans characters would be appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Feige replied, " “Yes. Absolutely. Yes. Very soon. In a movie, we're shooting right now.”
While Marvel has a number of active projects in active development right now, his comments are most likely referring to Eternals or Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which are both reportedly in some stage of production.
At last year's Disney D23 Expo, it was announced that Eternals will feature a gay hero who is married and has a family life. While the identity of the character has yet to be revealed, it seems to be an indication that Disney understands the kind of meaningful LGBTQ+ representation that fans want.
While Disney has been slow to include openly LGBTQ+ characters in major movie productions, non-Disney Marvel films have already done slightly more in that regard. The 20th Century Fox-produced Deadpool 2 featured Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Yukio as an open couple. While their presence helped earn the film a nomination at the GLAAD Media Awards, the two were given a criminally short amount of screen-time. Despite their considerable superpowers, the pair only really used their powers together at the end of the movie and didn't have a substantial presence throughout the film.
Since Marvel Studios is reportedly developing a third Deadpool movie now, Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Yukio could bring greater LGBTQ+ representation to the MCU, and embracing Deadpool's pansexuality could bring even more.
While Disney has promised a brighter future for LGBTQ+ representation, the media giant still has to live up to its word. And despite its spotty history, there's still good reason to think that might happen.
After being criticized for its lack of racial diversity, Disney produced Black Panther with a predominantly black cast and filmmakers. That film went on to become a critically-acclaimed smash hit that earned an astounding $1.35 billion at the box office and three Academy Awards, along with several more nominations.
Given the monumental success of that Black Panther, Disney has proven that it can be successful while representing traditionally underrepresented communities in blockbuster films. While Disney still hasn't made good on its promises of LGBTQ+ representation, it seems like Disney has learned the lessons of the past as it walks towards a more inclusive future.