Marvel Hints at LGBTQ+ Themes In Doctor Strange 2

By Russ Milheim Updated:
Miss America, America Chavez, Doctor Strange, MCU

Now that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: No Way Home is released and out of the way, and despite how hard Thor: Love and Thunder’s leaked marketing materials are trying, the spotlight has now shifted to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Benedict Cumberbatch’s next outing as everyone’s favorite sorcerer is set to take a deeper dive into the vast Multiverse introduced during Spidey’s botched attempt to fix his identity crisis.

The adventure will feature not only the return of Doctor Strange for his first solo outing since 2016 but also that of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong’s Sorcerer Supreme Wong, and Rachel McAdam’s Christine Palmer. Also joining the party is Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez.

America Chavez has yet to be seen in the MCU and will be bringing her universe-bending powers along for the ride; more specifically, her star portals from the comics will be gracing the screen, which aren’t being left in the Multiversal dust.

While not much is known about the character outside of what fans saw in the recent trailer, some new marketing materials suggest that Miss America will be retaining vital LGBTQIA+ themes which are central to who she is.

America Chavez's Sexuality In Doctor Strange 2

New promotional material for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on Amazon hints that Xochtil Gomez’s America Chavez will be retaining the LGBTQIA+ themes which are central to her character in Marvel Comics.

The image, seen below, shows the text “Amor es Amor” on the new hero’s jacket. This message means “love is love” in Spanish.

America Chavez, Doctor Strange, Multiverse of Madness
Marvel Studios

In the comics, America Chavez is shown to have same-sex relationships. For instance, American was involved with Lisa Halloran, an emergency medical technician-in-training, in the comic series America (2017):

Ameria Chavez, Marvel, Comics, Miss America
Marvel Comics

 

America Chavez Has Arrived

It’s no surprise that Marvel Studios will include the LGBTQIA+ aspects of America Chavez. After all, it absolutely should be doing so, and hopefully, the option of cutting them was never on the table.

The studio's diversity and representation game has been upped significantly in its fourth phase of films. Eternals not only had one of the most diverse ensembles of heroes ever but within them were the first on-screen gay and deaf MCU superheroes. Hawkeye even set up a spinoff show, Echo, revolving around Maya Lopez, a deaf Native American amputee.

This next film with Doctor Strange is also set to continue the story of Wanda’s children, Billy and Tommy, who go on to be Young Avengers. Even more than that, Billy goes on to marry Theodore Altman in the comic, aka Hulking, a fellow teammate.

Marvel's storytelling has a lot of ground to cover when it comes to making up for lost time regarding representation, but it is already off to a great start. If its massive announced slate is any indication, it’s one of its driving forces going forward.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in theaters worldwide on May 6, 2022.

- About The Author: Russ Milheim
Russ Milheim is the Industry Relations Coordinator at The Direct. On top of utilizing his expertise on the many corners of today’s entertainment to cover the latest news and theories, he establishes and maintains communication and relations between the outlet and the many studio and talent representatives.