After the release of the Agatha All Along trailer earlier this week, a certain section of the Marvel fan base is, once again, up in arms...
It seems like with this fandom, the girls, gays, and theys will never win. Out actor Joe Locke made his debut in the trailer as Wiccan, a character new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe but not the comics. In the original Marvel comics, it has been made abundantly clear that Wiccan is an out and proud gay character.
— (@)
Wiccan (also known by his civilian name Billy Kaplan) first appeared in Young Avengers #1 in April 2005. He is a significant character in the Marvel comics wors, known for his powerful magical abilities and his role in the beloved and popular Young Avengers team. We were introduced to a different Billy variant in WandaVision, although that variant had died with Wanda's fake reality. However in the comics, he isn't just another powerful superhero in the Marvel Universe, he's also a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ representation. His relationship with Hulkling, another queer hero with shapeshifting powers, is a major part of his story. It's not just a side note, it's front and center, showing the real ups and downs of their epic romance. Fans went wild for their wedding, and it was a huge moment for LGBTQ+ representation in comics. Wiccan and Hulkling' are considered a power couple within the Marvel world.
— (@)
In the comics, Wiccan's parents are also completely accepting of him and his partner. But this new discourse surrounding the television version of the character played by Locke seems to be stemming from whether or not this character should "look" gay and be "too" flamboyant…
Users on X (formerly Twitter) went back and forth on the topic, some even posting evidence from the comics. We hate to break it to the internet's homophobes and femmephobes, but this character is gay and PROUD. At this point in time, there's no saying where Marvel Television will take the character or if he will be just like the comics. We've seen in previous projects that the comics are more of a blueprint to play with, rather than the law of the story. Deadpool has been a perfect example of that, considering the character is openly pansexual in the comics. He even has a nonbinary assassin partner in the comics, however the studios changed that for the movies.
— (@)
Hopefully we get to see Wiccan/Billy thrive some day on screen as they did in the comics. This story was, and continues to be, important for LGBTQ+ representation and we LOVE to see it.
Agatha All Along premieres September 18 on Disney+.