Update: It has since been reported that Kevin Feige only meant LGBTQ characters, not transgender ones in particular, will soon appear in the MCU.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige promises that a transgender character will arrive very soon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The company has committed to reaching out to more diverse audiences by including more diverse characters in its big-budget films, and so far, that commitment has paid off. For example, Black Panther, which not only featured a black superhero as its lead but also included a predominantly black cast, became the first Marvel film to win an Oscar.

Marvel’s first female-starring superhero movie, Captain Marvel, was also a critical and box office success for the studio. The film ended up making over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. The upcoming Eternals will feature Marvel’s first openly gay male lead. Marvel Comics character Kamala Khan, a Muslim teen girl, will soon be featured in the MCU through a Disney+ TV show. Marvel Comics has been at the forefront of having diverse characters in its comics, and it seems that Marvel Studios is now trying to make that the case in its films. The company recently confirmed its focus would be on diversity after the 2019 release of Avengers: Endgame. However, as of yet, the MCU has not featured or announced a transgender character in the MCU.

But that’s about to change. In a panel at the New York Academy of Film, an audience member asked Feige about Marvel’s plans about including more LGBTQ characters in its films, specifically transgender characters. Feige replied, “Yes, absolutely, yes. And very soon, in a movie we’re shooting right now.”

Variety has since reported this new LGBTQ+ inclusion will not necessarily be transgender. Feige’s answer was met with applause from the audience, although he did not confirm which movie would feature the character. His answer did confirm that the character would appear in a film, though, and not one of Marvel’s many planned TV series. At the moment, Marvel has a slew of upcoming projects with diverse casts as part of its phase 4, including Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man 3, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther 2 and Blade. Any of these films could feature this new character, although the character could also appear in something not yet announced. Considering that Feige mentioned the character is in a movie currently shooting, though, chances are it’s a project Marvel fans already know about. Since Eternals is the MCU movie currently filming, that’s likely to be where this character is introduced.

Regardless of what movie the transgender character appears in, that appearance will be an important one. Marvel has a broadly diverse audience who will appreciate seeing this character. More importantly, Marvel’s transgender fanbase will finally get an opportunity to see someone like them in the MCU.

Next: Why Disney Has Moved Marvel’s WandaVision Release Date

Source: New York Academy of Film/YouTube, Variety

  • Black Widow Release Date: 2021-07-09 The Eternals Release Date: 2021-11-05 Shang Chi Release Date: 2021-09-03 Doctor Strange 2 Release Date: 2022-05-06 Thor: Love and Thunder Release Date: 2022-07-08 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Release Date: 2022-11-11