Eternals’ Kit Harington doesn’t understand why Marvel has been so slow on LGBT+ representation

Kit Harington has called for more LGBT+ representation in superhero movies.

Harington recently starred in Marvel’s Eternals alongside Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos – the first openly queer superhero in an MCU film.

Phastos’ addition the franchise was eagerly welcomed by LGBT+ fans, and it seems that Marvel is keen to correct its dearth of queer representation, with the recent Loki TV series confirming its titular anti-hero as bisexual and gender-fluid.

Eternals star Harington is among those thrilled by Marvel finally moving with the times. In a chat with Out, he said he was “incredibly proud and happy,” to have joined the MCU as it turns its focus towards inclusion.

He added: “I’ve said before, I don’t know why we haven’t got LGBTQ+ representation in superhero movies and in this one we do, and that’s just so important. I think it is such a moment, and all I can hope is that this is the start of many, many more.”

“Phastos is one of my favourite characters in this, he’s awesome,” he continued. “It actually was a big reason I wanted to be part of this.”

This isn’t the first time that Harington has criticised mainstream superhero movies for a lack of queer representation. During a 2018 appearance for his movie, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, Harington spoke out about the intersection of masculinity and homosexuality in Hollywood.

“There’s a big problem with masculinity and homosexuality that they can’t somehow go hand in hand,” Harington said. “That we can’t have someone in a Marvel movie who’s gay in real life and plays some superhero. I mean, when is that going to happen?”

Future Marvel projects are expected to introduce more queer superheroes. Tessa Thompson has confirmed that her character, Valkyrie, will “find her queen” in Thor: Love and War, while the next Black Panther film, Wakanda Forever, is rumoured to include a lesbian romance.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments