Marvel introduces gay teenager as new Captain America
(Marvel/Disney/Marvel Comics)
Marvel fans rejoice – the iconic comic book house has added a new queer Captain America to its heroic lineup just in time for Pride month.
Marvel Comics will celebrate the patriotic hero’s 80th anniversary with a new series titled The United States of Captain America, which will introduce Marvel’s newest LGBT+ hero, Aaron Fischer.
The series will see Steve Rogers, who is the current Captain America in the Marvel universe, team up with Captain Americas of the past – including Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson and John Walker – on a road trip across the US to find his stolen shield. Along the way, Rogers will meet Aaron Fischer, the Captain America of the Railways.
The press release described Fischer as a “fearless teen who stepped up to protect fellow runaways and the unhoused”.
Meet Aaron Fischer, the Captain America of the Railways
A new queer shield bearer in THE UNITED STATES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA designed by @obazaldua pic.twitter.com/6CANt1yhme
— ComicsXF (@ComicsXF) March 15, 2021
Comic book writer Joshua Trujillo said the new LGBT+ hero is inspired by the real-life “heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders and everyday folks pushing for a better life”.
“He stands for the oppressed and the forgotten,” Trujillo said. “I hope his debut story resonates with readers and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.”
Each issue of the upcoming series will introduce a new Captain America, showing off the diversity of the US and the people who step up to become heroes. Fischer’s issue will be the first in the comic book series and will be released on 2 June.
Marvel said the “rise of this new LGBTQ+ hero” is in honour of Pride month.
Jan Bazaldua, who is the artist on the Fischer issue, shared that introducing an “openly gay” Captain America held a special place for her as a trans person. Bazuldua explained: “I really enjoyed designing him, and as a transgender person, I am happy to be able to present an openly gay person who admires Captain America and fights against evil to help those who are almost invisible to society.”
While some fans are excited about the new series, there has been a wave of anti-gay sentiments hurled at Marvel and the creators of The United States of Captain America, with much of it stemming from the idea that Fischer will somehow replace the beloved Steve Rogers character.
He won’t, by the way. Steve Rogers will still be very present in the series.
Christopher Cantwell, the writer of The United States of Captain America series, admitted, as a “queer writer”, he would be “surprised if I didn’t get a ton of anti-gay invective hurled at me for writing Captain America”.
He wrote on Twitter that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain America is “someone who helped me realise I was queer”.
Also… and this is maybe trite to say… but the MCU Captain America is someone who helped me realize I was queer. For me it’s always a blurry line between being in love with a man and wanting to be like them as a man. That Cap means a lot to me. He also reminds me of… (1/2)— Christopher Cantwell (@ifyoucantwell) March 16, 2021
“For me, it’s always a blurry line between being in love with a man and wanting to be like them as a man,” Cantwell said. “That Cap means a lot to me.”
