This Marvel superhero just casually came out as gay
A Marvel superhero has come out as gay.
Minor hero Union Jack has appeared in the comic book universe since the 1970s, and was recently introduced in iPhone game ‘Marvel Avengers Academy’.
The game, which features alternate younger versions of the classic Marvel characters attending a not-at-all-like-X-Men superhero school, debuted Jack’s alter ego Brian Falsworth in an update.
Tucked inside a story mission within the game is a minor revelation, when Black Widow approaches the character and attempts to flirt.
He responds: “No offence, you’re not my type.”
When asked if he prefers another female character instead, Falsworth responds: “I’m telling you I’m gay.”
Black Widow responds: “I feel like a really bad spy now.”
The move has won praise from fans, who noted the casual nature of the revelation.
Marvel’s blockbuster film and TV universe – which spans from Iron Man and the Avengers to Guardians of the Galaxy – has portrayed hundreds of characters and dozens of superheroes – but is lacking in LGBT diversity.
Gay characters have been introduced on Marvel TV shows Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Jessica Jones – but neither of the shows have the mass-market reach of the core MCU films – which are pushed across the world, including in countries with anti-LGBT laws.
But the directors of latest Marvel film ‘Captain America: Civil War’ recently affirmed that aiming for global appeal across Russia and China it is not a valid reason for an absence of gay characters.
Sibling directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo remained hopeful that the Marvel universe will likely break the barrier at some point.
Joe Russo said: “It’s incumbent upon us as storytellers who are making mass-appeal movies to make mass-appeal movies, and to diversify as much as possible.
“It’s sad in the way that Hollywood lags behind other industries so significantly, one because you think that it would be a progressive industry, and two it’s such a visible industry.
“So I think it’s important that on all fronts we keep pushing for diversification because then the storytelling becomes more interesting, more rich, and more truthful.”
