Kevin Feige: “That is just part of who he is.”
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed rumors that the forthcoming movie The Eternals will star a gay character. “He’s married. He’s got a family. And that is just part of who he is,” Feige announced on Good Morning America.
The Eternals stars Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Gemma Chan as Sersi, Kit Harrington as Dane Whitman, Bryan Tyree Henry as Phastos and Lauren Ridloff as Makkari.
The film is set at the beginning of the universe and centers on the above characters, an immortal alien species conceived by the Celestials — who debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy — who are sent to Earth to defend humankind.
The film is set to hit theaters November 2020 and will be the second installment in Marvel’s “Phase 4” following Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow.
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Earlier this month, it was also announced that Marvel is looking for a transgender actor for a character tentatively called Jessica in the franchise. According to the breakdown, Jessica is “a transwoman actress of any ethnicity in her 20s to 30s”.
Victoria Alonso Marvel’s executive vice-president championed for the company’s push for diversity. “We’re just determined to have it be how we do it,” she explained to Vulture. “And if we do it, maybe somebody else will do it. I encourage every studio, every indie production company, every filmmaker out there to make an effort.”
Also, Sarah Halley Finn, the casting director for most Marvel films, said: “You’re gonna see even more new faces — and faces from all different background, all ages, all ethnicities, LGBTQ, differently-abled people.
“It’s a priority to have authenticity, to increase representation, to give greater representation to actors who have not traditionally been represented in mainstream movies on the big screen.”
