The first openly gay character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe got shoved into the new Avengers movie in a completely useless filler scene. Some fans — and, of course, most activists — are not pleased about it, but are they being reasonable?
It seems that Marvel can’t win. Either it lacks gay characters, or it incorporates them without enough gravitas.
Captain Marvel actress Brie Larson has said “we gotta move faster” on more diverse Marvel characters, and “Avengers: Endgame” directors Anthony and Joe Russo decided Joe would play a gay man in one scene of the $1.2 billion-grossing film.
Joe Russo himself is not gay, and his casual mention to Captain America about having gone on a date with another man is not being taken as a great leap for inclusivity. The directors appeared to be proud of their decision, however, touting the scene as a win for diversity.
“We wanted it to be casual, with the fact that the character is gay tied into the fabric of the storytelling and representing what everyday life is,” Joe told Deadline. “We’re trying to represent everyone in everyday life. These are global movies that reach a lot of people. They are important to a lot of people and everyone has the right to see themselves on the screen and identify somewhere.”
You don’t have to subscribe to identity politics to believe that representation matters. The creation of diverse characters shouldn’t distract from the plot. In “Endgame,” though, the filler scene is distracting.
In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, even conservatives should be able to agree with Slate editor Marissa Martinelli. In her article “When Will Directors Learn to Stop Overhyping Their Movies’ ‘Exclusively Gay Moment’?” she complains that the Russo brothers overblew the film’s tiny scene.
“Poor Grieving Man, a bit part whose creators have put the weight of the universe’s entire gay community on his shoulders,” she wrote.
When you get an endless drumbeat for more diverse roles, it can result in slapdash nods to minority figures rather than integrated characters. If you want to increase representation, good for you. If you want to signal your virtue to the advocates of identity politics, good luck, because they’ll never be happy.
