Thor: Love and Thunder, the next anticipated blockbuster from Marvel Studios, is about to hit cinemas across the globe. The film follows the titular God of Thunder and his friends as they battle the evil Gorr. Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, is one such partner. Thompson is openly bisexual and has always said that she portrays her character as bisexual as well.
Marvel Studios has been taking small steps toward greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in its programs and movies, and although the franchise has improved, the MCU still lacks notable gay characters.
Eternals’ Phastos is homosexual and has a spouse and kid, which is a step in the right direction. In addition, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has two mothers who featured in a flashback scene. Young Chavez also sported a Pride pin on her jacket throughout the film, perhaps implying that she, like her comics counterpart, is a lesbian.
Baby steps, indeed. And, according to Tessa Thompson, Thor 4 will continue to include gay MCU characters.
Tessa Thompson Discusses Valkyrie’s Sexuality
In an interview with Yahoo, Thor: Love and Thunder actor Tessa Thompson discussed how she ensured the film accurately depicted LGBTQ+ people, including her character Valkyrie:
“We spoke about it a lot; it was a major subject of discussion,” Thompson, who is bisexual in real life, explains. “Because I believe there is a genuine need among viewers to see characters that are plainly gay or LGBTQIA within these venues.” And I believe it is critical to have representation. Also, I believe that our sexuality and who we love do not define us as beings. So I sometimes believe that basing a story entirely on that is a way of degrading the character’s humanity. Because you never let them be anything else.”
With everything else going on in the tale, the actress also discussed how Vakyrie’s love life wasn’t able to be completely addressed in Love and Thunder’s duration. She did, however, mention that there had been “a lot of debates” regarding how Marvel Studios should portray a lesbian character like Valkyrie.
“It becomes the sole plot, especially in a film like this when there isn’t a lot of area for storyline.” So there was a lot of discussion on how to handle it with Valkyrie. And I’m pretty pleased with where we’ve arrived. I hope she remains a figure that people identify with, and that we have plenty of time to explore her in all of her humanity. But whether or not she finds love in this film, she is still a fantastic gay character who is open to finding love when it makes sense.”
Will Valkyrie find love in the future?
During the development of Love and Thunder, there were reports that Valkyrie would spend the whole film searching for her queen. Fans will recall that in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, just before Thor shot out into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, he made sure to designate Valkyrie as King of New Asgard, pledging to “make some adjustments” to the coastal realm.
As previously stated, Tessa Thompson has always portrayed her character as bisexual, whether or not it was written that way. Many people believe that the other, blonde Valkryie, who was murdered by Hela in Ragnarok’s flashback scene, was Thompson’s character’s lover.
Furthermore, a substantial portion of the audience would want to see the MCU couple Valkrie with Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel. Carol has never expressed any true love feelings in any of her roles, although she did have a very close connection with Maria Rambeau. With Valkyire predicted to debut in 2023’s The Marvels, might this “ship” become canon?
Thor: Love and Thunder, from Marvel Studios, will be released in cinemas on July 8.
