For over a decade, the Marvel Universe has broken barriers when it comes to race and gender. But like much of Hollywood, Marvel still lags behind when it comes to queer representation, so it was welcome news when Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige spoke with The Playlist on the future of the MCU following Avengers 4. He confirmed that the next phase of films will include queer characters that are out and proud.

When asked directly about whether LGBTQ characters will be included within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Feige said that they will include, "Both ones you’ve seen and ones you haven’t seen." The most likely candidate for the queer character we've already met is Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), above. She was confirmed to be bisexual by director Taika Waititi, despite the scene that would have confirmed her sexuality being cut from the final version of Thor: Ragnarok.

As for new characters, there's still speculation on who this will be, though it's possible that they will make an appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Captain Marvel. Hopefully, this will mark the beginning of better inclusion within the MCU and beyond for queer characters on-screen.

Though there has been an increase in diverse stories told on the big screen, queerbaiting and censorship have hindered any progression for queer characters to be out and proud.