8 LGBTQ+ Marvel Comics Characters That Need to Be in the MCU

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has the entertainment world in the palm of its hands. From the first Iron Man movie to Avengers: Endgame, Marvel established itself as one of the most formidable franchises in film and TV history. Developing a world past Endgame is something the MCU had to be careful with to keep their already dedicated fanbase. However, what seems to be missing that fans have noticed is the ultimate lack of clear and defined LGBTQ+ representation. During this Pride month, we want to discuss the future of Marvel and how LGBTQ+ representation is a must moving forward.

Marvel Comics provides practically endless source material for directors and producers of future MCU projects can and should pull from. In fact, there are over 50 LGBTQ+ characters in the comics that have yet to appear in the movies or TV shows. Although we are provided glimpses into some of them through Valkyrie, Loki, America Chavez, and Deadpool, clearly shown LGBTQ+ representation is still lacking. We have put together a small list of LGBTQ+ Marvel comic book characters that need to be in the MCU.

8 Pixie

The Marvel Comics has an entire set of superheroes that we do not even know about (yet). Of course, with so many heroes already introduced in the movies and shows, audiences are very familiar with superhuman capabilities. Megan Gwynn, or Pixie, is a mutant that is tied to the X-Men in the Marvel Universe, with the fitting ability to fly and use her pixie dust to manipulate other people's minds. This hero was established as bisexual, and with the announcement of an X-Men revamp, her inclusion is definitely fitting.

7 Mercury

The X-Men branch of the Marvel Universe is way larger than we think. In the comics, there are many heroes that are part of the X-Men space in Marvel, including some much-needed LGBTQ+ representation. Cassidy Kincaid (Mercury) is also a bisexual superhero from Marvel Comics that is tied to the X-Men. Her origin story, which involves the disgust from her parents towards her mutation to just life as a LGBTQ+ teenage superhero is a great storyline to explore. Mercury's body resembles the metal mercury that accompanies her shape-shifting abilities as well as superhuman strength.

6 Hiroim

We all know Korg as a fun-loving, wholesome, and hilarious part of Thor's posse, first introduced in the 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok . Although the character itself does not have much development, the comics show much more. In the Marvel Comics, Korg establishes a romantic relationship with Hiroim, a hero with superhuman capabilities that separate him from normal humans. The romance between Korg and Hiroim is explored in The Incredible Hulks series. Since Korg is already established in the MCU, the introduction of Hiroim could further develop his character in the future if the MCU,

5 Ultimate Spider-Woman

If the multiverse has taught us anything, there is an endless amount of variants of our favorite superheroes out there. Therefore, you should not be surprised that there is a woman clone of our beloved Peter Parker that is out and about in the Marvel Comics — and she's a lesbian! Jessica Drew, better known as Ultimate Spider-Woman, is a hero found in the All-New Ultimates series for Marvel. She ends up taking on the Black Widow legacy and has her very own 'coming out' moment in All-New Ultimates #4. The Spider-Verse is still expanding, and Jessica Drew would be a very fitting addition.

4 Iceman

Iceman, also a big part of the X-Men in the Marvel Comics, is one of the more groundbreaking LGBTQ+ characters in Marvel. Iceman broke boundaries in the franchise as he became the first-ever gay leading superhero to headline a comic, the "coming out moment" reported in a 2015 Vox article. Marvel has recently released Marauders Annual #1 that features a very heartwarming prom segment between Bobby Drake (Iceman) and his boyfriend, a new face to the comics, Christian Frost.

3 Speed

In the MCU, the films and TV shows have a habit of slightly introducing the presence of a character while taking their sweet old time developing them further. In WandaVision as well as Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, both of Wanda's twin boys Wiccan and Speed are introduced. However, in the comics, they are more of a force to be reckoned with. Speed, or Tommy Shepherd is a young, bisexual superhero whose powers imitate that of his uncle, Quicksilver. As a part of the Young Avengers, the development of both of Wanda's children could be a path Marvel can work with.

2 Wiccan

William Maximoff (Wiccan) is Speed's twin brother and one of Wanda's powerful children. Wiccan's powers parallel that of his mothers, emulating a blue magical energy from his hands, telekinesis, as well as the ability to manipulate people mentally. As mentioned before, since both Speed and Wiccan were introduced to the MCU, it is more than likely that their storylines will continue to develop. However, the question remains to whether or not the MCU will have them continue to be representatives for LGBTQ+ characters in the franchise.

1 Hulkling

Teenage Hulk? Yes, please. With the new She-Hulk project on the way, its fitting that the Hulk-Universe also expands. The Hulkling, also known as Teddy Altman, is a LGBTQ+ character in the Marvel Comics who is in a relationship with William Maximoff (Wiccan). Like Wiccan, Hulkling also appears in the Young Avengers comics. Similarly to the beloved Hulk we all know and love, Hulkling sports the big and broad body and iconic green skin. However, he also has the incredibly powers to shape-shift, a product of being half-Kree and half-Skrull.