Matt Bomer loves playing ‘multifaceted’ gay superhero on Doom Patrol
Matt Bomer stars as Negative Man on Doom Patrol (Mike Coppola/Getty)
American actor Matt Bomer has opened up about playing one of the first queer superheroes on TV in DC’s Doom Patrol.
Bomer said on Tuesday (February 26) that before playing Larry Trainor—also known as Negative Man—he had “never really seen a gay male superhero,” according to Variety.
“He’s such a multifaceted character. If it was just one stereotypical aspect of him I would have had reservations about it.”
— Matt Bomer, who plays Larry Trainor on Doom Patrol
Since joining the DC Universe show, the American Horror Story star said he had grown to appreciate that Negative Man’s plot lines were not limited exclusively to issues surrounding his sexuality.
Watch Matt Bomer become Negative Man in DC’s Doom Patrol:
“What I love most about the character is that even though it’s a huge struggle internally for him, it’s not the sole thing that defines who he is,” explained Bomer.
“He’s such a multifaceted character. If it was just one stereotypical aspect of him I would have had reservations about it.”
Two episodes of Doom Patrol have aired on DC’s streaming service so far, exploring why Bomer’s character had to leave behind his life as a married, closeted pilot who had a secret gay lover.
Doom Patrol is the latest example of DC showing queer superheroes on TV
DC has long exhibited a desire to put LGBT+ superheroes in its shows.
Legends of Tomorrow confirmed Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe’s romance last year when the pair finally kissed, making their romance canon.
Black Lightning, which started last year, features Anissa Pierce, a black lesbian medical student, teacher and—as it turns out—superhero by the name of Thunder.
DC’s Supergirl introduced its first-ever transgender character, Nia Nal, during its fourth season, and later showed her learning to control her superpowers as Dreamer.
Matt Bomer’s character leaves behind his gay lover and wife in the show. (DC/youtube)
Last month, it was revealed that The CW network has ordered a pilot for DC’s Batwoman, which stars Ruby Rose as the first live-action lesbian superhero to lead a TV show.
The network will order a full series if the pilot, which could premiere as early as autumn this year, goes down well, reported TVLine on January 3.
This decision came after Rose made a successful debut as Kate Kane in December’s CW “Elseworlds” crossover event.
The Batwoman pilot will be overseen by The Flash and Arrow director David Nutter, who is also famous for his work on Game of Thrones, including directing the infamous Red Wedding scene.
