marvel’s phase 4 puts superheroes of color in the forefront

This past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con,  Marvel Studios’ chief, Kevin Feige, was the king of Hall H. Equipped with a bag of MCU goodies, Feige announced Phase 4 of Marvel’s cinematic universe, set for release over the next two years. Already in development, Marvel Studios plans to (finally) deliver its Black Widow film, “The Eternals,” “Thor 4: Love and Thunder,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

“Thor: Ragnarok” star Tessa Thompson made it clear that her character, Valkyrie, is the first LGBTQ superhero to be featured in the MCU. When asked whether or not Valkyrie would be involved in any LGBTQ storylines, Feige responded in the affirmative: “The answer is yes. How that impacts the story remains to be seen with that level of representation you’ll see across our films, not in just ‘Thor 4.’”

Hyping fans up even more, Thompson —during Marvel’s panel— said, “As new king [of Asgard], she needs to find her queen. That will be her first order of business. She has some ideas. Keep you posted.”

In addition to their effort to showcase more diverse superheroes with the emphasis on Thomspson’s Valkyrie and Mahershala Ali’s starring role in Blade, Marvel’s “The Eternals”—will feature a racially diverse ensemble cast. The film will feature  Salma Hayek, comedian Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Dong-Seok Ma, and Tony-nominee Lauren Ridloff as “Makkari, the MCU’s first deaf superhero. Also included in the cast of the “Eternals” are Angelina Jolie and Robb Stark of “Game of Thrones” fame, Richard Madden.

Last but certainly not least, is the cinematic debut of Marvel’s first Asian superhero, Shang-Chi. Coming to a theater near you in Feb. 2021 is “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” starring Simu Liu in the title role, alongside Tony Leung, and Awkwafina.

Meanwhile “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” starring Buffalo Creamcheese continues to be lily-white, so the racist fanboys can have that.

Which of these projects are you most excited to see?