The Walt Disney Company is back in the news again this week with many accusing the House of Mouse of not truly living up to the ideals it espouses with its rainbow capitalism. The Gay Days host was called out in the media for supporting every Florida representative backing the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill in the Sunshine State—well, it isn't too sunny for LGBTQ+ kindergarten through third-grade students if the bill passes, according to advocacy organizations. Instead of denouncing the bill as requested by LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, the company reconfirmed its commitment to making a difference by putting out LGBTQ+ content that will inspire youth.
Much of Disney's queer content hasn't resonated with many members of its LGBTQ+ plus audience who feel the company is only willing to do token rep with a background kiss here and a single line of dialogue there. Then, Disney canceled production on its most high-profile queer-led content, Nimona, in 2021, citing pandemic concerns. On the other hand, Lucasfilm, a company Disney also owns, chose not to fire or sanction actors over transphobic and/or homophobic statements (yes, there was more than one), despite a history of other problematic behavior.
As for Marvel Studios, the most likely candidate for queer representation onscreen because, at least in the past, Runaways and Jessica Jones, both made under the now-defunct Marvel TV, were lauded for their LGBTQ+ rep. Eternals did provide the first major big screen gay superhero for the franchise (although not the first gay superhero in the MCU), and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is also expected to introduce America Chavez. However, it seems Marvel has fewer heroes who are openly queer onscreen these days, with many MCU favorites who are very gay in Marvel Comics source material showing up as not so gay on screen (Star-Lord, Korg, Ayo, Wiccan, and Deadpool).
Marisa Tomei Wanted to Make Aunt May LGBTQ+
In a December 2021 interview with Geeks of Color, Marisa Tomei revealed she lobbied for Aunt May to date a woman in Tom Holland's Spider-Man trilogy, but Marvel Studios rejected the idea. The 57-year-old Academy Award-winning actor has played Aunt May in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Captain America: Civil War when she is visited by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who comes to her apartment to recruit Peter Parker (Holland) for the first time. She then appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and most recently in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
During the interview, Tomei revealed that before her character's fling with Happy (Jon Favreau), she thought it was a better idea for Aunt May to have a girlfriend. "There was a moment where I felt that May — maybe she should just be with a woman because Ben is gone," the actress said referring to the death of Peter Parker's Uncle Ben. "And we were kind of talking about it, and so I actually really wanted Amy Pascal from Sony to be my girlfriend!"
The King of Staten Island actress added, "I was like, ‘No one even has to know, Amy. I’ll just be in a scene, and you’ll be over there. And I’ll just be like, 'Hey!' It’ll just be a subtle thing.'”
Unfortunately, the Marvel and Disney film executives said no to Tomei's idea for an Aunt May coming out party. "No one went for it at the time," Tomei lamented. If this storyline had come to pass, either way, Aunt May would have still loved Uncle Ben when they were married, and whether that means she was always bisexual, demiromantic, or lesbian who just figured it out later in life, it doesn't change the fact that she loved Ben when he was alive.
Watch the full interview below: