The recent Captain Marvel was that rare example of an MCU solo movie that gave no love interest to its title character. If you ask Marvel Studios director of production and development Mary Livanos, however, the film simply had too much ground to cover to address the heroine’s sexuality.
At the espnW Summit in New York, Livanos explained to Business Insider that they thought it best to keep the focus on Carol Danvers’ journey of self-discovery, meaning that the character’s love life had to take a backseat:
“Speaking to Captain Marvel, in that installment, that was a movie about self-discovery and Carol re-finding herself. So, in executing the film, we felt there wasn’t room in the narrative to tell that story.”
By leaving Carol’s sexuality unaddressed, the internet has been free to ship whatever pair-up they see fit. In particular, there’s been a lot of demand lately for Captain Marvel to start a relationship with Valkyrie. And for what it’s worth, the idea has received the approval of both Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson.
But while a Carol/Valkyrie romance remains the stuff of fan fiction for the time being, it’s clear by now that Marvel’s Phase 4 will bring us some major LGBTQ characters sooner rather than later. Even Livanos, when asked if further representation was coming to the MCU, replied:
“It’s safe to say yes.”
Captain Marvel comic book writer Kelly Sue DeConnick was also present to share her thoughts, adding:
“God, I would hope so.”
Indeed, just earlier this month, Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo hinted that an established MCU character will come out as gay, adding further fuel to the speculation that Captain Marvel is being written as a lesbian. If so, then we may have to wait until the inevitable sequel for some confirmation, but in the meantime, don’t be surprised if Marvel Studios announces their first gay hero before the summer is out.