Culture

Meet Deadpool 2’s bisexual, polyamorous superhero

Mar 29 2018
Written by Josh Jackman

(Instagram/lewistanofficial)

The identity of Deadpool 2’s bisexual, polyamorous superhero has been revealed.

Last month, we found out that Shatterstar, who has appeared in Marvel comics since 1991, will star alongside Ryan Reynolds’ pansexual Deadpool in the sequel to the 2016 smash hit.

His kiss in 2009 with gay superhero Rictor was the first same-sex kiss in a mainstream Marvel comic.

(Marvel Comics)

Speculation over his potential role in the film was sparked after a trailer appeared to show him behind Reynolds and Terry Crews’ characters.

Stefan Kapičić, who plays Colossus, confirmed that both Crews and Shatterstar will be in the sequel, saying: “That’s not CGI of Terry Crews, that is Terry Crews. You can see it clearly.

“You can see behind him, Shatterstar, a really cool thing for people to geek out.”

(Marvel Comics)

And now we know who will play the time-travelling mutant human, who in the comics travels from both his alien planet Mojoworld and through time.

Lewis Tan, who played Zhou Cheng in Marvel’s Iron Fist, posted on Instagram with a screenshot of the still which initially started a fan furore.

He wrote: “The gang is all here. Recognise someone? #xforce #deadpool2”.

(Instagram/lewistanofficial)

Tan, 31, has also starred in TV series Into the Badlands, and is now listed on IMDB as an actor in Deadpool 2.

In the comics, Shatterstar was initially presented as asexual, before his character was changed to be bi and polyamorous.

He possesses accelerated healing and the ability to create shockwaves and teleportation portals with his two swords.

(Instagram/lewistanofficial)

You can see him in the sequel on May 18 2018, which of course already has one LGBT superhero, in the shape of the magnificently pansexual Deadpool.

And you can also see multiple LGBT superheroes on TV, as the medium starts to catch up to comic books.

(Marvel Comics)

Black Lightning, on Netflix and The CW, has Anissa Pierce, a black lesbian medical student, teacher and – as it turns out – superhero by the name of Thunder.

Marvel’s Runaways also has a lesbian superhero, in the shape of Karolina Dean, a main character who slowly realises her sexuality while also figuring out her powers.

Thunder (The CW)

However, Marvel has also moved to quash speculation that two warriors in Black Panther would be in a lesbian relationship, sparking outrage and accusations of erasure.

Last year, Thor: Ragnarok included Valkyrie, a bisexual superhero and woman of colour – though fans were ultimately disappointed with the fact that her sexuality wasn’t made clear on screen.