Thor: Ragnarok will feature the first LGBT character in a Marvel movie

Thor: Ragnarok

is set to feature the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first LGBT character – not that you’d know it from watching the film, sadly.

Actress Tessa Thompson confirmed on Twitter this week that her character Valkyrie is bisexual, staying true to the superheros’s original depiction in the comic books.

Thompson announced the news in a post on Twitter during a fan discussion in which a user complained that Valkyrie was portrayed as a “typically sexless Marvel tomboy”.

Tessa replied by writing: “She’s bi. And yes, she cares very little about what men think of her. What a joy to play!”

While the move seemingly represents a huge leap forward for a movie franchise that has exhibited a grand total of zero LGBT+ people over 16 films, apparently Valkyrie’s sexuality will not actually be explicitly addressed in Thor: Ragnarok.

According to critics who’ve seen the film, which set to be released hit UK cinemas next month, Valkyrie’s former relationship with a woman is left open to the most flexible of interpretations, raising concerns than the declaration the character is bisexual is little more than tokenism.

She’s bi. And yes, she cares very little about what men think of her. What a joy to play! https://t.co/d0LZKTHCfL

— Tessa Thompson (@TessaThompson_x) October 21, 2017

Meanwhile, Thor: Ragnarok also features a character named Korg, an intergalactic warrior who was shown to be in a same-sex relationship during his appearances in the Hulk comic books.

However, the character’s sexuality in the movie hasn’t been confirmed.

Thor: Ragnarok hits UK cinemas on November 3. Read our review here.

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