Are Marvel in the wrong for NOT Giving Captain America a Boyfriend?

[Rogue Star]

Isn't Loki bisexual?

[Walter West]

Well know to and with whom? Comic fans? I think it was a huge misstep and missed opportunity. You sideline your first gay character, who is a speedster to add a guy and speedster who is more of a Avenger? The Magneto connection vs benching your first gay character is no contest. Especially with a gay director. There is no excuse for Mystique.

Meanwhile, how well know was GoG, Antman, etc? I think if you show a character and do right by them, fans will react.

They only excuse is if Marvel owns Alpha Flight and Northstar.

Fox has the rights to Alpha Flight and Northstar. They first appeared in X-Men when Vindicator/Guardian was trying to bring Wolverine back into Alpha Flight. It's a similar situation to the Avengers movie having to use the Chitauri since Fox also has the rights to the Skrulls who first appeared in Fantastic Four, another current Fox property.

[Walter West]

a suitable compromise for all parties is to make bucky gay and find him a boyfriend. one that is not captain america aka steve rogers.

Well, seeing as how he's been frozen many times over the years, perhaps a dalliance with Bobby Drake could break the ice with fans.

[ed2962]

I understand your point. The problem is that there isn't enough money in it for it to be a priority and you can't ask them to spend money on something that's not profitable. I personally don't care if Marvel makes a LGBT comic....I really don't care one way or the other. But you can't expect them to bend over backward for such a small group just because you're really vocal about who you are.

They don't know there's no money in it because as of yet they haven't tried

[Kieran_Frost]

Isn't Loki bisexual?

In comics, the films have not depicted him as such (different universe and all that).

Hun there are LGBT in the comic universe or are you talking about the movie universe? Oh wait you mean one that is not in a relationship?

Just asking.

In the MCU films (13 films) not a single character, or even background cameo have been revealed as LGBT.

[Tiamatty]

I understand your point. The problem is that there isn't enough money in it for it to be a priority and you can't ask them to spend money on something that's not profitable. I personally don't care if Marvel makes a LGBT comic....I really don't care one way or the other. But you can't expect them to bend over backward for such a small group just because you're really vocal about who you are.

First of all, we don't know if solos about some LGBT characters wouldn't sell. A Miss America solo, for example, might do reasonably well. Or an Iceman solo. Or a Wiccan/Hulkling duo title. We don't know how they'd do, and can't know until those titles are given chances. Second, my entire post was about the movies. I explicitly referred to the movies, and to Marvel Studios, repeatedly throughout my post. So I have no idea you could have possibly misunderstood me to think I was talking about the comics.

Hun there are LGBT in the comic universe or are you talking about the movie universe? Oh wait you mean one that is not in a relationship?

Just asking.

The movies. No LGBT characters in the movies.

In all of existence? Maybe the just are not on the team? Is it a crime to not have a gay person on your team.

We have not seen a single openly LGBT character in any of the movies. None. Not as a hero, not as a supporting character, nothing. And no, it's not a crime, but it's pretty shitty of Marvel Studios to pretend LGBT people don't exist.

[MikeMC005]

First of all, we don't know if solos about some LGBT characters wouldn't sell. A Miss America solo, for example, might do reasonably well. Or an Iceman solo. Or a Wiccan/Hulkling duo title. We don't know how they'd do, and can't know until those titles are given chances. Second, my entire post was about the movies. I explicitly referred to the movies, and to Marvel Studios, repeatedly throughout my post. So I have no idea you could have possibly misunderstood me to think I was talking about the comics.


The movies. No LGBT characters in the movies.


We have not seen a single openly LGBT character in any of the movies. None. Not as a hero, not as a supporting character, nothing. And no, it's not a crime, but it's pretty shitty of Marvel Studios to pretend LGBT people don't exist.

So what if there hasn't been a single LGBT in any of the movies? Why does there have to be? Marvel isn't pretending they don't exist they are just following the history of their characters. How many people do you think would be furious and not go see a movie because Marvel decided to change their characters history/background dramatically? A hell of a lot more people than the number of people who are currently not seeing them because they wont. Not just changing them to be LGBT but if they decided hey we are going to make Captain America a little person because hell nobody has done that before... It just doesn't make sense to do that. Its not good for business. People like stability. Continuity. History. You don't just change something for the sake of changing it, you change something because it makes sense to do it and it creates an improvement in the story or is good for business. Pandering to small groups doesn't make for good business moves.

[Kieran_Frost]

So what if there hasn't been a single LGBT in any of the movies? Why does there have to be? Marvel isn't pretending they don't exist they are just following the history of their characters. How many people do you think would be furious and not go see a movie because Marvel decided to change their characters history/background dramatically? A hell of a lot more people than the number of people who are currently not seeing them because they wont. Not just changing them to be LGBT but if they decided hey we are going to make Captain America a little person because hell nobody has done that before... It just doesn't make sense to do that. Its not good for business. People like stability. Continuity. History. You don't just change something for the sake of changing it, you change something because it makes sense to do it and it creates an improvement in the story or is good for business. Pandering to small groups doesn't make for good business moves.

I don't see why acknowledging LGBT exist in one of 13 films would be considered pandering? We exist and with every film it becomes more and more bizarre that Marvel have never had an LGBT character, even as a one-linear. It's concerning that none of the directors, none of the producers tried to rectify this (when it's such an easy fix).

That said they'll never out Cap. Just won't happen. Ever. And more to the point they aren't wrong not outing him, they are wrong 13 films in LGBT people don't exist. It's embarrassing that any company in this day and age wouldn't understand why this is bizarre. #givevCapaboyfriend is about a longing for us to have representation (even minor representation) rather than see this fantasy world proud of how we don't exist.

[Tiamatty]

So what if there hasn't been a single LGBT in any of the movies? Why does there have to be? Marvel isn't pretending they don't exist they are just following the history of their characters. How many people do you think would be furious and not go see a movie because Marvel decided to change their characters history/background dramatically? A hell of a lot more people than the number of people who are currently not seeing them because they wont. Not just changing them to be LGBT but if they decided hey we are going to make Captain America a little person because hell nobody has done that before... It just doesn't make sense to do that. Its not good for business. People like stability. Continuity. History. You don't just change something for the sake of changing it, you change something because it makes sense to do it and it creates an improvement in the story or is good for business. Pandering to small groups doesn't make for good business moves.

So pretending LGBT people don't exist is A-OK to you? No need to have LGBT heroes, no need to have LGBT supporting characters, no need to acknowledge in any way, shape or form that there are, in fact, people who aren't heterosexual?

You seem to think the only option people will accept is having characters get their sexuality changed. But people would accept, say, Captain America hanging around his gay friend for a scene. People would accept a female SHIELD agent saying, "If I don't survive this, my wife will kill me." It doesn't actually take that much work to acknowledge the existence of LGBT people. You can do it in little ways.

Here's an example I've used in the past: Remember how, in Winter Soldier, there was a subplot/running gag about Widow trying to get Steve to go on a date? They could have had a moment where Widow says, "What about Kelly, from down in records?" And Steve would say, "You're more her type than I am." See? Easy. All it takes. People would still want to actually see LGBT characters, but it would be an acknowledgement that, yes, Marvel Studios is aware that LGBT people exist. It gives people genuine reason to hope that LGBT characters might actually show up. The only hope they have right now is Feige saying they might get around to it by 2025.

[keeen]

It's nowhere near implied though. Not even close. Very far fetched and the biggest reach I've seen so far this year.

I'm not trying to kick the hornet's nest, but I don't think it's THAT far-fetched, honestly.

Edited because I don't know how to attach an image. And still don't know.

cap.jpg

[C-Dot]

I'm not trying to kick the hornet's nest, but I don't think it's THAT far-fetched, honestly.

Edited because I don't know how to attach an image. And still don't know.

cap.jpg

Avenging the death of your sidekick isn't reflective of that.

[Mary Jay]

it is a bit shocking and appalling that in mcu there is not a single gay character in all existence. are they in a dimension where homosexuality does not exist?

I have yet to see a fat girl in all of the MCU movies... #makesharoncarterfat

I'm sort of kidding here, but being a heavy girl myself, I think it would be nice to see a smart, competent, serious and professional heavier woman in the MCU, who isn't there only to deliver funny one-liners and be the comic relief of the movie. That never happens, but hey, at the end of the day it's just movies.

I can understand wanting more representation but IMHO changing established characters isn't the way to go. From a business perspective, you would alienate more people than you would please. And no, it's not about being homophobic, it's about liking someone - in this case a character - the way he is.

In comics, the films have not depicted him as such (different universe and all that).


In the MCU films (13 films) not a single character, or even background cameo have been revealed as LGBT.

There are a lot of characters in the MCU that haven't been revealed as straight either. You just assume they are?

[C-Dot]

Marvel is not required to change their character's sexuality because of hashtags. Then again it would be okay for Marvel to give Cap a boyfriend since its their characters and they can do whatever they want with Cap.

Not like Marvel doesn't have a history of the suddenly sexuality trope though. Iceman being a recent example. It's their character to do what they want with like other retcons out there and all, but it's not farfetched for a lot of folks (from all spectrums as one view does not rep from all groups...some forget that fact) who never read the characters as such or seen the established characters enough (based on history and story) to have a "what?! reaction and object to the idea. And the immediate accusatory mess that comes from some on the "you don't like what I like so you're xyz" train is some A-level nonsense.

[Tiamatty]

I have yet to see a fat girl in all of the MCU movies... #makesharoncarterfat

I'm sort of kidding here, but being a heavy girl myself, I think it would be nice to see a smart, competent, serious and professional heavier woman in the MCU, who isn't there only to deliver funny one-liners and be the comic relief of the movie. That never happens, but hey, at the end of the day it's just movies.

Completely on board with this. Mainstream media in general is pathetic when it comes to body diversity, and they need to do better.

There are a lot of characters in the MCU that haven't been revealed as straight either. You just assume they are?

Invisible representation is no representation.

[Francisco]

Avenging the death of your sidekick isn't reflective of that.

Not to mention Bucky was a teenager. So it doesn't make LGBT but a pedophile. Marvel shouldn't out Cap just because Cap wasn't conceived as a gay person (Steve Rogers) but they could create a new character who dons the mantle and just happen to be gay. A future version of the sentinel of liberty from the near or distant future. Or someone from another dimension.