If you had any question as to whether the hype surrounding the importance of Black Panther and Captain Marvel‘s respective successes was legitimate you need look no further then the future of representation in cinema’s most succesful franchise for confirmation. Carol Danvers and T’Challa showed Hollywood that people were ready for minority and female led films which has opened the door for more groups that were usually left off cast lists to shine.
When questioned about the plans to include trans-gendered characters in the Marvel cast of characters during a New York Film Academy Q&A Feige responded with a decisive “Yes, Absolutely”. In case you are concerned this is just lip service, Feige and Marvel have already made great strides in including the diversity of their audience in the on-screen personas. The Eternals will feature the first gay character, and it’s first hearing-impaired character. Shang Chi and the Legened of the Ten Rings brings an Asian-American lead to the superhero community, most importantly these moves by Marvel don’t seem to be happening to appease anyone. There’s a real feeling that they genuinely want their audience, no matter their background, to feel a part of the MCU…to see themselves mirrored on screen in some manner. Whether it’s a business move or a move from the heart doesn’t really matter I don’t think, it’s the end result that we should be concerned about and given Marvel’s place on the world stage, their ability to influence other films.
