It's no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is way behind on diversity and inclusion. It took them over a decade to finally have a woman-fronted movie with Captain Marvel and Black Panther remains the only movie that has a majority Black cast. Last year, Disney and Marvel seemed to want a pat on the back for introducing the MCU's first openly gay character in Avengers: Endgame. However, the moment was a rather abysmal attempt at inclusion, especially when 1) the character was played by co-director Joe Russo and not a lead character and 2) the moment was little more than a throwaway line.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently promised that fans should expect a transgender character to appear in the MCU and soon. During a Q&A session hosted by the New York Film Association, the chief creative officer had this to say about the possibility of a the MCU getting a transgender character:

"Yes, absolutely yes. And very soon, in a movie we're filming right now," Feige said.

It's all very vague. I suppose Marvel wants another pat on the back, this one in advance. They're not getting one until the studio actually delivers on these promises. Until then, I won't hold my breath for any major changes nor should fans raise their expectations lest they be disappointed. Like with Star Wars, which refused to make any of the leading characters LGBTQ and instead relegated a same-sex kiss to two Resistance fighters in the backdrop, Marvel has by and large done the same thing with little exception.

The studio is taking teeny, tiny steps forward, though. The upcoming MCU film, The Eternals, will reportedly feature the first major LGBTQ character, though Feige has yet to confirm which character it is. Yup, expectations are on the ground.