Marvel Cinematic Universe has been very inclusive lately in their addition of diversity in characters. This time, the company is releasing a movie surrounding an openly gay character in its upcoming film, The Eternals.
Rumors have been circulating since December that the production company would be including a gay superhero in an upcoming movie. After an interview last week, fans now have that concrete answer. In an interview published by NewNowNext, Haaz Sleiman was asked if fans would get a gay kiss in the upcoming movie. “Oh, yeah, absolutely, and it’s a beautiful, very moving kiss. Everyone cried on set. For me, it’s very important to show how loving and beautiful a queer family can be.” Haaz Sleiman told the interviewer about his character’s relationship with Phastos, who is played by Brian Tyree Henry. Phastos is a talented Eternal with skills in machine-building and innovation.
“Brian Tyree Henry is such a tremendous actor and brought so much beauty into this part, and at one point I saw a child in his eyes, and I think it’s important for the world to be reminded that we in the queer community were all children at one point. We forget that because we’re always depicted as sexual or rebellious. We forget to connect on that human part,” Sleiman states.
For years, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige has promised the appearance of more LQBTQ characters in its movies. In December 2019, Feige remarked that Marvel is effectively moving in the direction of more conscientious inclusivity with Phase Four movies like Eternals and Shang-Chi. Phastos will be the studios’ second openly gay character, following Avengers: EndGame that showed a small from the director, Joe Russo playing the character.
“He’s married, he’s got a family, and that is just part of who he is,” Feige says when describing the relationship between characters played by Sleiman and Henry.
