Culture

Iconic lesbian teenage superhero America Chavez will be played by Xochitl Gomez in Marvel’s Doctor Strange sequel

America Chavez Xochitl Gomez

Xochitl Gomez has been confirmed to play lesbian superhero America Chavez. (Paul Archuleta/Getty/Twitter)

Marvel has confirmed that Xochitl Gomez will play the lesbian teenage superhero America Chavez in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel.

Chavez, also known as Miss America, first appeared in Marvel Comics in 2011 and has since become a firm fan favourite – and people have been crying out for the character to make her big screen debut for years.

Finally, their dreams are coming true, with Gomez set to star alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, due for release in 2022.

Deadline first reported in October that Gomez would be joining the cast, but it was unknown at the time what character she would be playing.

It has since been revealed that she will be taking on the role of the iconic teenage lesbian superhero following a call with Disney investors on Thursday (10 December).

Details of the film’s plot are not yet known, however it will reportedly follow on from the events chronicled in the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision, which is set to debut in January, according to EW.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, has hinted that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will also tie into an upcoming Spider-Man film.

Xochitl Gomez is ‘beyond grateful’ to play America Chavez.

America Chavez first appeared in Vengeance #1, released in 2011, and later joined the Young Avengers and became the star of her own series of comics, titled America.

She is Marvel’s first Latin-American LGBT+ character to star in an ongoing series. The character has superhuman strength and is also able to fly.

The iconic lesbian superhero is also able to kick holes in reality, which allows her to travel through the multiverse and into other realities.

So excited to be playing America Chavez! I still can’t believe this is real.

Chavez has previously appeared in the animated film Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, where she was voiced by Cierra Ramirez, but the character’s appearance in the Doctor Strange sequel marks her first live-action appearance.

Gomez confirmed the news on her Instagram stories, writing: “So excited to be playing America Chavez! I still can’t believe this is real,” she added, adding that she is “beyond grateful”.

There was huge fan excitement on Twitter when it was revealed that the 14-year-old actor, who is best known for her role on The Baby-Sitters Club, would be playing the role of the lesbian teenager.

However, some pointed out that Marvel has not yet confirmed that the film will represent America Chavez as a lesbian.

 

Marvel has consistently faced criticism for its failure to feature meaningful LGBT+ representation in its films – but that looks set to change in the coming years.

Actor Tessa Thompson said in July that the next phase of Marvel films will “push the bounds” of representation, and confirmed that her superhero character Valkyrie will have a queer storyline in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Marvel is also set to introduce one of its first LGBT+ superheroes in The Eternals, which was originally set to be released in November 2020 before being pushed back by a full year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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