Tessa Thompson ‘intended’ to play Marvel’s Valkyrie as bisexual
Tessa Thompson who plays Valkyrie (VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty)
Tessa Thompson, who plays Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame has said that it was her “intention” to play her character as bisexual.
Thompson made the revelation during an interview with Variety at the premiere for Avengers: Endgame. When asked about Valkyrie’s sexuality, she replied: “In the canon, yeah, she is bisexual. You see her with both women and men, so that was my intention in playing her.”
However, Thompson said they had never explored Valkyrie’s bisexuality because romantic lives of superheroes are not “at the forefront” of Marvel films.
Tessa Thompson said she could see Valkyrie in a polyamorous relationship with Thor and Captain Marvel
When asked which Marvel superheroes she could see Valkyrie in a relationship with, Thompson said she could see her in a polyamorous relationship with Thor and Captain Marvel.
“I think a communal spoon—just a spoon between friends that are hardworking—it could be polyamorous. Why not? A throuple, with Thor as the baby spoon,” she said.
In the same interview, Thompson said it was an exciting time to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after the franchise featured its first female lead superhero in Captain Marvel.
“In the canon, yeah, she is bisexual. You see her with both women and men, so that was my intention in playing her.”
– Tessa Thompson
When asked if Marvel fans could expect to see overtly LGBT+ characters in the future, Thompson replied: “I think that’s coming in the next phase.
“The thing that has always inspired me so much about Marvel, about comics in general… is this idea that what makes you different is actually your superpower,” Thompson continued.
“I think when we’re living in a robust time where we want to be able to say to people that they can love who they want to love, they can be who they want to be, it’s perfect to include those narratives inside of this world.”
Rachel Murray/Getty
Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson have shared fan art of their characters together online
Meanwhile, LGBT+ Marvel fans have been shipping Valkyrie and Captain Marvel online, and both Thompson and Larson have gotten in on the fun.
Both Larson and Thompson shared fan art which depicted their characters as a couple.
In one piece of fan-art shared by Larson, Captain Marvel is shown carrying Valkyrie. Larson shared the photo with the caption: “We cute @TessaThompson_x.”
In the comic books, Valkyrie has a romantic relationship with anthropologist Annabelle Riggs and is bisexual.
Meanwhile, Thompson revealed last year that she is attracted to both men and women.
“I can take things for granted because of my family—it’s so free and you can be anything that you want to be,” she said.
“I’m attracted to men and also to women. If I bring a woman home, [or] a man, we don’t even have to have the discussion.”
