Thor director addresses whether Captain Marvel and Valkyrie will get together

24th October 2019

“You want to listen to the fans to a point.”

Thor Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has addressed the fan demand for a romance between Captain Marvel and Valkyrie.

Earlier this year, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) was hailed as a “queer icon” after the release of her self-titled solo adventure, due to the subtle queer undertones between her character and her best friend, Marie Lambeau (Lashana Lynch).

It was later announced that the third Thor sequel, titled Love and Thunder, would include a storyline in which Tessa Thompson’s character – who became the new King of Asgard in Avengers: Endgame – searches for “her queen”.

Because the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been severely lacking in the representation department, fans were excited at the prospect of an LGBTQ romance and dubbed them both as a future power couple – Larson and Thompson endorsed it too.

Waititi said he’s aware of the fan demand, but is unsure if it will come to fruition in Love and Thunder, which he is set to direct.

Speaking to Wired, Waititi explained: “The thing is, I think it’s dangerous for people to say too much about what they want with Marvel, because then they will tend to go the other way. You want to listen to the fans to a point.

“But also you don’t want to have a completely fan-made film because then it doesn’t feel like there’s any point. You want to have people surprised.”

We’re not too disappointed because the MCU has promised to make strides with LGBTQ representation in future movies.

As well as the exploration of Valkyrie’s sexuality in the Thor sequel, Captain Marvel 2 will reportedly introduce a fan-favourite gay character from the comics. The Eternals will also introduce a happily married gay character.

It’s part of a new initiative by Marvel to become more diverse, especially after the acclaim and box office success of films such as Black Panther and Captain Marvel, both of which grossed over one billion dollars.

Victoria Alonso – the studio’s executive vice-president – said she hoped Marvel would set the standard with diversity.

“We’re just determined to have it be how we do it,” she told Vulture. “And if we do it, maybe somebody else will do it. I encourage every studio, every indie production company, every filmmaker out there to make an effort.”

And Sarah Halley Finn, the casting director for every Marvel film since Iron Man, said: “You’re gonna see even more new faces — and faces from all different background, all ages, all ethnicities, LGBTQ, people who are differently abled.

“It’s a priority to have authenticity, to increase representation, to give greater representation to actors who have not traditionally been represented in mainstream movies on the big screen.”

The first film in Phase 4 of the MCU will be Black Widow, which will see Scarlett Johansson reprise her role for a spin-off/prequel, set in-between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

It is due for release 1 May 2020. The Eternals – which will star will star Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan and Kit Harrington – will be in cinemas 6 November.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder will all be released in 2021, while Black Panther 2 is due for release in 2022.