7 proud bisexual and queer actors we want to see play Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel Comics confirmed that Star-Lord, aka Peter Quill, is a polyamorous bisexual (YouTube/Marvel)
With Marvel Comics confirming that the legendary Star-Lord is bisexual, fans are hoping a future iteration of the character could be played by a bisexual actor.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe the role of Star-Lord been held by Chris Pratt since 2014, but it would send a powerful message for fans to someday see Peter Quill’s story told by an actual bi+ person.
It would give a major boost to a media landscape that’s starved of LGBT+ representation: only 18.6 per cent of films released in 2019 included a queer character, and just 7.6 per cent gave those characters more than 10 minutes of screen time, according to a recent GLAAD report. Predictably, Avengers: Endgame failed the test.
When those few roles are given to straight actors rather than LGBT+ ones, it throws up an additional barrier to queer people being able to tell their own stories on the big screen.
Pratt will return to play Star-Lord in Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, but who knows what the future will bring – maybe one of these faces?
1. Andy Mientus
The American actor, singer and writer is already well-versed in superhero lore through his role as the Pied Piper in the hit CW series The Flash, based on the DC comics.
He’s also known for starring in the Broadway musicals Spring Awakening, Les Misérables, and Wicked, and on television in the NBC musical drama Smash.
Mientus is married to the actor and director Michael Arden, and has long been outspoken about his bisexuality.
“What I can offer is my example. I’m here, I’m out, and I f**king love myself for it,” he said in 2017. “People doubt my identity every day, to my face and behind my back, but I don’t mind. It’s not theirs, it’s mine, and no one can take it from me. If it’s yours too, know that.”
2. Juan Castano
This young actor started his career on the stage where he won a Lucille Lortel award for outstanding lead actor in Transfers. He went on to land roles in Tales of the City and The Wilde Wedding, and now plays a gay character named Marcos Ruiz on Renée Zellweger’s Netflix series What/If.
Castano identifies his sexuality as “on the spectrum”, and says the role helped him figure out his own fluidity.
“It wasn’t the first time I played gay, but it was my biggest gay role [to date],” he told NewNowNext.
“I think what’s important is that as long as there is a connection with a human being that feels good, it doesn’t make a difference if it’s a man or a woman.
“I would say playing Marcos solidified that for me simply because spending that much time with a character you fall in love with them and what they’re going through.”
3. Justice Smith
There’s no reason why a bisexual Star-Lord can’t be a person of colour, and we think Justice Smith could be a perfect fit.
He got his break out role in 2016 as Ezekiel Figuero in Netflix’s musical drama series The Get Down, after which he was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 List.
Since then he’s played Franklin Webb in 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Tim Goodman in Detective Pikachu and Theodore in All the Bright Places.
Smith came out as queer in an Instagram post in June, pledging his support for Black Lives Matter as he did so.
“We chanted ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’, ‘Black Queer Lives Matter’, ‘All Black Lives Matter’. As a Black queer man myself, I was disappointed to see certain people eager to say Black Lives Matter, but hold their tongue when Trans/Queer was added,” he noted at the time.
4. Tyler Blackburn
Tyler Blackburn shot to fame in 2010 playing Pretty Little Liars’ Caleb Rivers, the bad boy who’s really a softie at heart – sound familiar?
He’s got a plethora of TV and film credits under his belt and is currently starring as Alex Manes, a gay war veteran and amputee, in The CW series Roswell, New Mexico.
The actor came out in 2019 in an interview with the Advocate, revealing that he has identified as bisexual since he was a teenager but tried to suppress it throughout his 20s.
“I just want to feel powerful in my own skin, and my own mind, and in my own heart,” he said.
“I heard so many things from within the queer community about bisexuality being a cop-out or bullshit or the easy way out or something, and that always stuck with me because I felt the pressure from all sides to have [my sexuality] figured out.”
5. Nico Tortorella
You might recognise Nico Tortorella from Scream 4, Fox crime series The Following and AMC’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
They first found fame playing the hyper-masculine tattoo artist Josh on the comedy-drama Younger, but in real life they confidently embrace their femininity as they step out on the red carpet in glorious flowing gowns.
The star declared they were sexually fluid in 2016, adding that they identify as bisexual in a later interview with Vulture.
Expanding on this in 2018, they wrote on Instagram: “It’s no secret that my sexuality has been ever evolving, and quite recently my own gender identity and expression has been taking new flight.
“We are ALL multidimensional dynamic creatures and as much as I understand the spectrum, the less I believe in the binary of gender, the more liberated I myself am becoming.”
Tortorella would certainly bring a fresh new energy to a gender non-conforming Star-Lord.
6. Daniel Newman
It looks like Atlanta-born actor Daniel Newman may be the current fan favourite to play a bisexual Star-Lord, not least because he bears a striking resemblance to the comic book version of the hero.
Newman himself is certainly on board with the idea. “If Star-Lord is bisexual now, then an out bisexual actor should be playing him! I SHOULD BE PLAYING HIM,” he said, responding to the suggestions on Twitter.
He’s already got a strong fan following, having starred in The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, Homeland, Sex and the City and Cirque du Freak, and his acting credentials speak for themselves.
He might just be the perfect Star-Lord if Chris Pratt ever steps down.
7. Alex Diaz
We think this 26-year-old Filipino-Scottish actor could be the perfect person to play a younger bisexual Star-Lord.
Diaz honed his skills playing “bad boy” roles in Filipino film and TV, including Got To Believe (2013), Bagito (2015), She’s Dating The Gangster (2014), Dagsin (2016), Just The Way You Are (2015) and Wansapanataym (2016).
He was unfortunately outed as bisexual last year and later came out publicly in an emotional Instagram post.
“Never again will I be shackled by the fear of what might be said about who I am for fear of losing my career,” he said.
“Instead, I will seek help, heal, and champion change, acceptance, and representation for the bisexual community and/or anyone who is met with prejudice in our society.”
