Fans urge Marvel to give Captain America a boyfriend

By Amy Kaufman

May 24, 2016 10:12 AM PT

For the second time this month, fans are urging Disney to give the star of one of the studio’s films a same-sex partner.

In early May, Twitter users launched the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend campaign, asking the studio behind “Frozen” to consider including a lesbian relationship in the musical's upcoming sequel. Subsequently, on Tuesday, the hashtag #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend started trending — this time requesting that the superhero in the Marvel franchise (which is owned by Disney) date someone of his own gender.

Over the weekend, Idina Menzel — who plays Princess Elsa in “Frozen” — endorsed the idea of the popular character having a female love interest.

“I think it’s great,” the actress told Entertainment Weekly. “Disney’s just gotta contend with that. I’ll let them figure that out.”

Chris Evans, meanwhile, who stars as Captain America, has yet to weigh in on his preference for his character’s romantic future. In “Captain America: Civil War,” which was released May 6, Evans’ Steve Rogers has a lackluster relationship with Sharon Carter, played by Emily VanCamp. Previously, Captain America was involved with Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter — but her character then died.

So who does that leave for Evans to woo? According to fans: Bucky Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan, Cap's loyal best friend who has frequently risked his life for his pal.

https://twitter.com/mizgillianberry/status/735134306113200130

https://twitter.com/MissMolliWrites/status/735122514385440768

https://twitter.com/AndreaDemonakos/status/735129711840354305

If Disney paid mind to either of the Twitter campaigns, it would mark a major shift for the studio, which GLAAD reported did not feature a single LGBT character in any of its major 2015 films.

“Of all the studios tracked in this report, Walt Disney Studios has the weakest historical record when it comes to LGBT-inclusive films,” the GLAAD report stated. “As recent successful animated films and TV programs have shown ... LGBT people appearing in ‘all-ages’ programming — animated or not — is not the impossible notion it once was. LGBT people are already part of families and communities around the world, and film of all genres should reflect that.”

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Amy Kaufman

Amy Kaufman is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes the A-1 column “For Real With Amy Kaufman.” The series examines the lives of icons, underdogs and rising stars to find out who the people are shaping our culture — for real. Since joining The Times in 2009, she has profiled hundreds of influential figures including Stevie Nicks, Nick Cannon, Drew Barrymore and Lady Gaga. She is also an investigative reporter and was part of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist team that covered the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. Her work often shines a light on the darker side of the entertainment business, and she has uncovered misconduct allegations against Randall Emmett and Russell Simmons. In 2018, her book “Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure” became a New York Times bestseller.

Fans urge Marvel to give Captain America a boyfriend

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