Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says Chloe Zhao's upcoming Eternals film is just the beginning of meaningful LGBTQ+ representation in one of the most popular media franchises in the world.
During the world premiere of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe flick on Monday night, the Marvel boss spoke to Variety's Marc Malkin on the red carpet, and the two talked about how Eternals is setting the stage to introduce more of the beloved queer heroes from the pages of Marvel comic books into the big-budget films fans see on the big screen.
"There have been gay superheroes in the comics. It is more than past time in the movies," Feige told Malkin. "It's just the start."
\u201c"There have been gay heroes before in the comics. It is more than past time in the movies," Kevin Feige says of the Marvel film's first gay superhero. "It's just the start." https://t.co/F6rov2HB1g\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1634608859
As we learned in a recent teaser spot, Eternals is going to introduce viewers to Phastos (played by Atlanta alum Brian Tyree Henry) and his loving family (a husband, played by Breaking Fast's Haaz Sleiman, and a son named Jack), giving us all the queer familial representation we could ever ask for -- a groundbreaking move, especially considering how long queer Marvel fans have been waiting for some kind of representation on screen.
\u201c"It's life-saving," @haazsleiman says of playing a gay character in Marvel's #Eternals, sharing his hope for young queer folk to see themselves represented. https://t.co/F6rov2HB1g\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1634606104
Sleiman was also at the Monday night Eternals premiere, and he talked about how important that moment was for him in terms positive inclusion of a happily married gay couple.
"It's lifesaving," Sleiman told Variety. "I wish I had that when I was a kid growing up to see this. My God, I wish. Can you imagine how many lives this is going to be saving? Kids, young queer folks who are either being bullied, committing suicide, not seeing themselves represented and now they get to see this. It's above and beyond."
Eternals premieres in theaters on Friday, November 5.
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