Here's every time Marvel movies cut LGBTQ+ characters & storylines

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the highest-grossing cinematic franchises of all time, with people from all over the world buying tickets to watch their favorite superheroes saving the galaxy. For more than 30 films, fans have been introduced to all different kinds of superpowered individuals, common humans, and intergalactic aliens, but barely any LGBTQ+ characters have been found.

In 2021’s Eternals, the MCU introduced fans to its first-ever out gay superhero, Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry. We even got to meet his husband! Otherwise, there have only been a handful of characters who subtly identified themselves as being non-straight, such as Valkyrie in the Thor movies and Loki in his titular series for Disney+. But unlike the various straight relationships that are heavily featured across the franchise, even the reference to any kind of queer romance is apparently doomed to be edited out of these movies.

Scroll through to see the times when LGBTQ+ characters and storylines were allegedly edited out of MCU films.

Valkyrie's hookup in 'Thor: Ragnarok'

Valkyrie, played by out actor Tessa Thompson, made headlines as the MCU's first queer superhero when she showed up in Thor: Ragnarok, but we didn't actually get to see a scene that would've confirmed her sexuality in that film.

According to writer/director Taika Waititi, there was originally a scene filmed where a woman can be seen leaving Valkyrie's apartment, presumably after a hookup. Unfortunately, the scene was cut after audiences didn't understand it.

"We tested that scene. And people were just so confused," Waititi said. "I think we were just being so subtle about it that most audiences were like, 'who was that? Was that a flatmate?' People didn't connect the dots – or not enough did. So it was more confusing for audiences. We should have just had her come out and kiss her and then leave."

A gay kiss in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’

According to the leaked original script for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the film initially featured a scene between Ayo (Florence Kasumba) and Aneka (Michaela Coel) kissing each other on the mouth at a house party. However, that alleged segment of the movie was edited out. What we did get in the final edit was a peck on the forehead as a nod that these two characters might perhaps be romantically linked.

Captain Marvel & Valkyrie’s romance backstory in ‘The Marvels.’

Another bizarre example of queer erasure in the MCU took place in 2023’s The Marvels. A social media report indicated that the Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) cameo in the film included her telling Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) that they “work better as friends.” Even though this wasn’t a physical demonstration of their sapphic chemistry, the line clearly highlighted that these two characters were romantically entangled in the past. Alas, this precious quote was allegedly cut from The Marvels.

Namor’s bulge in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.’

We, as gay people, already have to deal with not getting pretty much any major representation in the MCU movies… and now you’re telling us that part of the CGI budget for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was used to erase Namor’s (Tenoch Huerta) bulge that we deserved to see on IMAX screens?! The cheek, the never, the gall, the audacity!