Rumor Says 'Black Panther 2' Will Introduce a New Queer Superhero

We already knew that Michaela Coel, the genius behind HBO's I May Destroy You, was joining the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and now, thanks to a leaked rumor, we may know who she's playing!

The rumor, from Marvel news site and fairly trusted leaker Murphy's Multiverse, says that Coel will be playing Aneka, a queer woman and one of the Dora Milaje.

In the comics, Aneka is the captain of the Dora Milaje and is in a relationship with her fellow warrior Ayo. Ayo is already in the MCU, having appeared first in Black Panther as played by Florence Kasumba. She also had a role in Disney+'s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, being the member of the Dora Milaje who was sent to hunt down Baron Zemo.

Now, if these leaks are to be believed, it seems like Ayo will have a larger role in Wakanda Forever, and hopefully, her relationship with Aneka will be fully explored. Marvel has only just started introducing queer characters into its cinematic universe and still has a very, very, long way to go to get to authentic and quality representation.

In his self-titled series on Disney+, Loki revealed he is bisexual, although that's all his queerness was explored in the series. Additionally, queer characters Wiccan and Speed were introduced in the series WandaVision, but only as children.

Brian Tyree Henry will be playing Phastos in the upcoming film The Eternals. He is the MCU's first gay superhero and "a brilliant inventor with a mind for creating weapons and technology."

We also know that Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson, will be getting a female love interest in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder. The character had a scene confirming her bisexuality cut from Thor: Ragnarok.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters in July 2022.