Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige explains how America Chavez's sexuality and identity as a queer character affects her journey in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Directed by Sam Raimi and with a script by Loki’s Michael Waldron, Multiverse of Madness picks up with its eponymous sorcerer after Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film’s multiversal concept will facilitate a handful of characters’ Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, such as Patrick Stewart's Professor X.

In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Multiverse of Madness stars Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo, Benedict Wong’s Wong, Rachel McAdams’ Christine Palmer. Xochitl Gomez makes her MCU debut as America Chavez, who has the ability to open portals between universes. It’s been revealed that the upcoming film acknowledges America as an LGBTQ+ character, which has resulted in Multiverse of Madness being banned in some Gulf countries. Of course, this news has both made headlines and America’s sexual orientation a topic of conversation. Now, Feige has explained how the character’s queerness impacts her journey in the Doctor Strange sequel.

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During a press conference for Multiverse of Madness (via Comicbook.com), Feige spoke about bringing America Chavez into live action. Addressing the character’s sexuality, Feige explained the importance of adapting comic book characters as truthfully as possible. The Marvel boss explained that while America's identity as a queer young person is taken directly from the source material, it is "not what the movie is about." Read Feige's full quote below:

"It's important, as we always say, that these films present the world as it is, and the world outside your window, as they used to say in publishing. That aspect of America's character is from the comics. We always want to adapt them as well and as truthfully as we can ... I think when people see the movie, much like it is in life, it is not any one thing that defines any one character. As Xochitl said, she's a 14-year-old girl figuring out this very traumatic element of her life, which is not the LGBTQ issue, it's the fact that she keeps being tossed around the Multiverse multiple, multiple times. Being truthful to that and showcasing that, and that is not what the movie is about, but it is an important part of the character she becomes in the comics. We wanted to touch upon that."

Doctor Strange and America standing next to each other in Doctor Strange 2.

In the comics, America hails from a pocket dimension known as the Utopian Parallel, which was created by an all-powerful version of Wanda/Scarlet Witch’s son, Billy/Wiccan, called the Demiurge. America will inevitably use her star portals and (perhaps inadvertently) flee her reality in Multiverse of Madness. Suffice to say, America’s story is one of a displaced individual learning to control her powers as she helps Strange combat some multiversal threats. While her sexuality is an important aspect of who America is as a character, as Feige explained, it does not define her.

If Marvel Studio's creative team decided to make America’s sexuality a focal point, it would not necessarily do much to normalize the on-screen depiction of LGBTQ+ characters, as references to America's queerness in Doctor Strange 2 are extremely brief. That said, Disney/Marvel Studios have made the decision not to censor Multiverse of Madness’ 12-second LGBTQ reference to appease laws in countries like Saudi Arabia. Given America’s youth and ties to the MCU multiverse amid Phase 4's multiversal narrative, Gomez’s character will likely be in the universe for quite some time. Given this, the subtleties of her introduction are important as she, along with characters like Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan, lead superhero cinema into the future. Audiences can see America make her MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in theaters on Friday, May 6.

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Source: Comicbook.com

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