If there’s one thing the MCU has been lacking, it's proper representation of LGBTQ characters. Some fans have actually accused Marvel of “straight washing” their characters for the purpose of denying them the opportunity to be in relationships with someone who they have an actual connection with. The problem Marvel has with creating straight relationships is that they can feel strange, a bit forced, and there isn't too much emotional depth backing them up.
Two examples of this include Sharon and Steve during Captain America: Civil War, or the totally out of the blue romance between Natasha and Bruce in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Instead, the MCU should capitalize on the fact that a lot of their heroes create deep, genuine connections with people of the same gender. Using romance to highlight the emotional bonds formed between characters, rather than a tool to show viewers that the characters are straight, would add a lot more depth to the MCU as a whole. In order for Marvel to start making more progress towards giving LGBTQ characters their well-deserved time in the spotlight, they should begin by looking at the heroes already part of the MCU.
Deadpool and Star-Lord, for example, are both attracted to men and women in the Marvel comic books and they already maintain a very high-standing position within the MCU. A majority of Marvel films end up on the Disney Plus streaming platform, but Disney doesn't have any confirmed characters who are part of the LGBTQ community. Even if Marvel decided to keep in line with Disney’s more traditional “boy-girl only” relationships, Deadpool (or other new heroes introduced in an R-rated setting) would be the perfect series to start diversifying characters without the restrictions Disney often puts on Marvel. Deadpool is nowhere on Disney Plus, so creating characters for films that are too mature for the streaming platform would be a good time to start exploring same-sex relationships, without receiving any backlash from Disney.
Additionally, giving Star-Lord the chance to be more open with his sexuality would also be a great opportunity for Marvel to give LGBTQ folks proper representation. His relationship with Gamora felt real and well-developed, which was quite rare for a straight relationship in the MCU, and her death was nothing less than devastating. Having Peter move on with another woman so quickly after the loss of Gamora would cheapen the bond he shared with her before she died. Rather than introducing a new female character for the sake of becoming Peter Quill’s love interest, Marvel should allow Peter the chance to grieve the loss of someone he cared about and be more open with his sexuality in future films.
There have been some rumors that LGBTQ characters will be given their time to shine during the upcoming Phase 4. Loki is set to appear in his own Disney Plus show this June, and there's been some speculation that he’ll have romantic relationships with both men and women. Given the fact that Disney has yet to create LGBTQ characters, there's no way to tell whether or not the rumors are true until the show starts streaming.
A lot of fans also suspect that Captain Marvel is gay, and are hopeful to see her with a woman by her side as she continues to appear in future movies. Captain Marvel is entirely centered around women empowerment, so giving Carol Danvers a male love interest could be tacky and ruin the message of the series, if written poorly. Allowing her to be with a woman would be a better way to show fans that females are more than capable of doing anything they put their minds to, and they don't need men to help them succeed.
Amongst all the speculation and rumors shared by fans, there is one golden light at the end of the tunnel. Valkyrie will be the MCU’s first openly gay hero in Thor: Love and Thunder. This is a huge step in the right direction for Marvel, but they have to be careful that they don't place Valkyrie as a background character because of it. Valkyrie isn't one of Marvel’s major headlining heroes, although she is quite popular amongst fans. Giving her an LGBTQ storyline is definitely progress for the franchise, but they've disregarded Valkyrie’s sexuality in the past. Valkyrie is confirmed to be queer in Marvel Comics, but the team who created Thor: Ragnarok eventually admitted that they cut out a scene from the film which confirmed Valkyrie’s bisexuality.
There’s definitely a bigger chance that LGBTQ characters will get a shot at having some major screen time within the MCU as Phase 4 progresses, but until Marvel proves that they can properly represent the gay community, there won't be too much celebrating. Marvel is obviously trying to do the right thing by giving fans what they want to see, but the execution is always far more important than the concept.