Tessa Thompson opens up about playing Marvel's first LGBTQ+ character

After Anthony Mackie opened up about lack of diversity in Marvel films, Tessa Thompson too has stepped ahead to address the topic.

During Variety’s latest Actors on Actors episode with Ramy Youssef, the Thor actor who essays the role of Marvel’s first LGBTQ+ character, Thompson expressed excitement to being able to ‘push the bounds.’

“The truth is these movies travel globally in such huge ways, and if you can represent people that are of colour, if you can represent people with disabilities, if you can represent the LGBTQIA community inside of these films, it’s a pretty big deal,” she said.

“I think it’s really important for everybody, but for young people especially, to be able to show up to those movies and see projections of themselves. So I’m really excited that we’re able to continue to push the bounds of that and that I’m able to do that with Valkyrie.

“Because there’s so many cool queer characters in the comic books, and they should have a place on screen,” she added.

Earlier Mackie had talked to Daveed Diggs about the Marvel projects largely being whitewashed.

“When The Falcon and the Winter Soldier comes out, I’m the lead. When Snowpiercer comes out, you’re the lead. We have the power and the ability to ask those questions.”

“It really bothered me that I’ve done seven Marvel movies where every producer, every director, every stunt person, every costume designer, every PA, every single person has been white,” he added.

He went on to then speak about Black Panther, saying: “But then when you do Black Panther, you have a Black director, Black producer, you have a Black costume designer, you have a Black stunt choreographer. And I’m like, that’s more racist than anything else.”

“Because if you only can hire the Black people for the Black movie, are you saying they’re not good enough when you have a mostly white cast?”