10 Biggest Controversies In The Marvel Cinematic Universe
8. Black Panther Alters A Character's Sexuality
Black Panther is shaping up to be the MCU's most culturally diverse movie to date, so it was with great disappointment that fans heard that one of the characters in the movie had apparently had their sexuality changed for no reason.
The Black Panther comic-books feature two women named Ayo and Aneka, who work as T'Challa's bodyguards, the Dora Milaje. The two fell in love and enjoyed a romantic relationship, and were even given their own spinoff story.
However, in the upcoming movie... this big part of Ayo's character has been removed.
Footage from Black Panther was screened to the press earlier this year, with one of the scenes in question showing an amorous moment between Ayo and Okoye - Aneka isn't in the movie, but Okoye feels like the movie's version of her.
This sounded like good news - a major comic-book blockbuster promoting an LGBT relationship would be an important step for many, many people - but sadly, Marvel reached out to Vanity Fair just to say that the relationship between the two women is not romantic in the slightest.
Why would Marvel include a flirtatious moment between the two women, but not allow them to have a proper relationship? Why would the studio go out of its way to point out that their movie does not feature a lesbian romance? Why couldn't they just let fans believe what they wanted to believe?
As you'd imagine, this upset plenty of fans, and even inspired its own hashtag, #LetAyoHaveAGirlfriend. The studio could always backtrack and make the relationship between the two romantic - whether in a sequel or in the first movie - but it remains to be seen if this will be the case.