If you are acquainted with the early stages of Marvel and DC comics, from a modern perspective, you will find it really stereotypical. From broken English of Asian characters to over-s*xualization of female characters, even negative portrayal of LGBTQ+, there are plenty of examples. And that doesn’t limit itself to the pages, you can see that in the cinemas too.

Being a mainstream form of entertainment, the MCU doesn’t go all out in terms of portrayal of stereotypes, but they have some subtle references here and there.

Joe Locke in Heartstopper (Credit Netflix)

For the general audience, who is straight and white, it doesn’t come out as a major problem, but it does seem a bit “offensive” when it comes to those who don’t fit the hypothetical standards of a straight white population. And though some fans might feel enraged by that, Joe Locke points out that they are just misconceptions and Marvel is more than that.

Some major complaints fans have against Marvel Cinematic Universe’s stereotypes

The Ancient One in the comics and movie (Credit- Marvel and Disney)

As discussed, unlike Marvel Comics, Marvel understands the masses are quite sensitive about the overall audience of the franchise. But that doesn’t mean that they are all saint in this, Marvel did some mishaps. Just to give you an example, The Ancient One was an Asian character in the comics which was later replaced by a white actress. Though most fans didn’t complain, it wasn’t completely overlooked.

Even in terms of representation, Marvel is slowly discovering characters from various races, sexualities, and cultures. Though there have been some LGBTQ+ references here and there, it was far from being normalized as fans didn’t have enough of that. Yukio and Kyōka made some appearances in some Marvel movies, but they were not the kart of mainstream MCU.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness dropped some references regarding the progressive LGBTQ+ identity as America Chavez mentions that she has two mothers. Though majority of Marvel Cinematic Universe is dominated by white straight men, it is definitely changing and Agatha All Along might give it a new direction, especially with Joe Locke.

Fans do not share the same sentiments as Joe Locke’s comments

Locke as Teen in Agatha All Along. (Credits: Disney+)

During a recent interview to promote Agatha All Along, Joe Locke was asked about what misconceptions fans carry about the MCU. And his answer was quite straightforward:

“That it’s just for, like, straight white men. Because it’s not.”

And partially it is true. Agree or not, that genre is dominated by bulky white dudes or genius white dudes. From Ironman to Peter Parker, from Doctor Strange to Thor, they fit the mold of being a straight white male. But isn’t he forgetting something?

If you go through the Billion Dollar grossing Marvel films, you will see two names that are enough to break the stereotype. Black Panther and Captain Marvel. Black Panther grossed $1.35B and Captain Marvel topped off with $1.13B which is definitely strong keeping it in mind that they don’t go along with the typical Marvel movies. One represented the Black community and the second one represented the empowered women, Marvel did set examples through exceptions. And fans loved it. Though there was rage against Brie Larson, it didn’t really affect the box office of Captain Marvel. 

So, does Locke have misconceptions about the misconceptions regarding the MCU? It’s a yes and a no. Might sound diplomatic but it can’t be ignored that most characters in the films are molded in the stereotypical claims, from a funny and chatty Mexican guy to a ‘perfect’ model of the male species, you can’t take away the credit from Marvel as they are trying to be inclusive currently. And hopefully, with characters like Joe Locke’s and his strong performance in Heartstopper, they will appeal to a broader fanbase with the release of Agatha All Along.

Stream Agatha All Along on Disney+, coming to the platform on 18th September.