**Okay, we have to warn you that spoilers for ‘Avengers: Endgame’ are below. No, not the kind that will greatly affect your feelings about the movie. No, we aren’t giving away the plot or any twists. But there is one thing in the film that we discuss, so proceed at your own risk**
**For real…**
**For those wanting something spoiler-free to read about ‘Endgame,’ might we recommend our review?**
**Okay, we warned you…**
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have noticed that the faces that have headlined the most recent films in the franchise have finally broken the mold from the typical white male lead. Most recently, “Black Panther” and “Captain Marvel” have not only introduced the MCU’s first non-white lead and the first solo female lead, respectively, but have also proven that audiences have been craving this sort of representation, with both earning well over $1 billion. But there’s still one area of inclusion that the films have been woefully behind on — LGBTQ representation.
However, in “Avengers: Endgame,” the studio takes a step forward in that respect, albeit more of a shuffle forward than a leap.
For those that haven’t seen the film, which is approximately 99% of the world, the film features a scene where Captain America is joining a group of Snap survivors in a group therapy session. You’ve probably seen bits of this from the trailers. It occurs very early in the film, but other than the typical stage-setting and emotional stakes that are prevalent in early scenes, this moment actually features something rather important in the world of the MCU — an openly gay character.
No, the person in question isn’t a superhero. And I don’t recall if we ever get his name. But the character is played by co-director Joe Russo and is revealed to be a Snap survivor that is attempting to go on a date for the first time since the catastrophe. He doesn’t overtly say, “Hey, I’m a gay man.” Instead, he talks about a date he had and casually mentions that it was with a man. Nothing more is made about it. No musical cues are given. There’s no fireworks display of congratulations. Instead, it is a moment that happens and then goes away.
But for the directors, in a new interview with Deadline, this moment is of the utmost importance to them.
“Representation is really important,” Joe Russo said. “It was important to us as we did four of these films, we wanted a gay character somewhere in them. We felt it was important that one of us play him, to ensure the integrity and show it is so important to the filmmakers that one of us is representing that. It is a perfect time, because one of the things that is compelling about the Marvel Universe moving forward is its focus on diversity.”
Now, for those that have seen the film and those that are reading this, but haven’t seen it, it’s clear that this moment isn’t the bombastic revelation that many in the LGBTQ community were hoping for. This isn’t Captain America revealing his deep feelings for Bucky before sharing a kiss. It’s not Valkyrie openly admitting she’s queer. Instead, it’s a subtle moment that is important, no doubt, but may not be as momentous as people were hoping and/or expecting when Marvel Studios finally went ahead and included a gay character.
“The fact that the character is gay will get attention but it isn’t where the scene started,” co-director Anthony Russo said. “When you have a story point that includes killing half of all humans on Earth, you’re telling a bigger story than The Avengers.”
He added, “So that scene was important to us in telling the story of the larger world. We wanted to have a voice that was talking about the experience of people that went beyond The Avengers. That’s why we felt we really needed it in the movie. Otherwise, it just became too hermetic and insular. That character that Joe is playing really came from that point of view, him being an everyman who has suffered from Thanos’ act.”
Rumors have been swirling that Marvel Studios is actively trying to hire an openly gay male actor to lead the upcoming film “The Eternals.” However, outside of that, there hasn’t been much discussion about when an openly gay lead character or lead actor will be added to one of these films. Until then, the LGBTQ community will have to accept this marginal offer of good faith.
“Avengers: Endgame” hits theaters this evening.