Will Marvel Films Feature LGBT Superheroes? Civil War Directors Think So

Captain America: Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo believe the Marvel universe is pushing "what people's expectation of a superhero movie are."

The duo recently talked about the possibility of a LGBT character in the upcoming Marvel films. "I think the chances are strong," said Joe Russo. "It's incumbent on us as storytellers who are making mass-appeal movies to make mass-appeal movies .... It's sad in the way that Hollywood lags behind other industries so significantly."

Joe's got no idea. GLAAD's Studio Responsibility Index recently found, among other data, that there was no significant increase in LGBT portrayal in major-studio films from 2014 to 2015--only 17.5 percent.

Even hit Marvel standalone Deadpool had fewer references to the foul-mouthed character's sexual fluidity than expected. Actor Ryan Reynold has said that the character is pansexual and he would love to see a sequel where the merc with a mouth gets his own boyfriend.

Meanwhile, the Russos believe that as the audiences grow, so will their tolerance for different characters.

"I think this is a philosophy of Marvel--in success it becomes easier to take risks," Anthony Russo said. "So I think that's very hopeful for all of us moving forward that bolder and bolder choices can be made."

So who will it be? Maybe we can sneak in a gay Iceman while Fox isn't looking ...