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These actors are to play gay husbands in new Marvel movie, The Eternals

Haaz Sleiman and Brian Tyree Henry (Photos: icmags/Gage SkidmoreCC-by-2.0/3.0)

An actor in the forthcoming movie The Eternals has revealed that he will be playing a man married to another man.

Marvel’s has long mooted that it wants to boost diversity in the Marvel Universe, with MCU President Kevin Feige telling an audience in New York last October that a forthcoming movie will include LGBTQ representation.

Then, in December, a trailer for the Marvel movie The Eternals screened at a Comic-Con in Brazil. It showed Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry, 37, holding the hand of another man. Fans took this as meaning Phastos would be the gay superhero.

 

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However, some confusion remained because Marvel had reportedly been seeking an out-queer actor for a queer role in the movie. Brian Tyree Henry, known for appearing in Atlanta and If Beale Street Could Talk, has not publicly stated he is gay or bisexual.

Related: Marvel is seeking a gay actor to play an openly queer lead in its upcoming film 

However, gay actor Haaz Sleiman has now revealed, via an interview with NewNowNext, that he will be playing Phastos’s husband. He said the couple will be parents to a child, confirming previous details announced by Feige. He also said that they will kiss on screen.

 

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Sleiman, 43, has recently been seen in Apple+ TV’s anthology series, Little America, and before this, Nurse Jackie. He made headlines in 2017 when he came out not only as gay but as a “total bottom.”

In the interview about The Eternals, he said his character is “married to the gay superhero Phastos, played by ‘Atlanta’s’ Brian Tyree Henry, and we represent a gay family and have a child.”

Sleiman also went on to speak about a scene involving the first Marvel Universe same-sex kiss.

“It’s a beautiful, very moving kiss. Everyone cried on set. For me, it’s very important to show how loving and beautiful a queer family can be.

“Brian Tyree Henry is such a tremendous actor and brought so much beauty into this part, and at one point I saw a child in his eyes, and I think it’s important for the world to be reminded that we in the queer community we’re all children at one point. We forget that because we’re always depicted as sexual or rebellious. We forget to connect on that human part.”

The Eternals follows a group of superhumans who derive their powers from genetic meddling by an alien race called the Celestials. It will also feature Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Richard Madden.

The movie features at least 11 ‘Eternals’, so how much screen time each gets remains to be seen. The movie hits theaters on November 6.

Related: Marvel Studios president confirms a gay superhero is coming soon to a theater near you 

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