Marvel's Eternals is breaking ground with a whole new slew of characters, several of whom are firsts for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's Kit Harrington's Black Knight, a legendary hero from the comics, Lauren Ridloff's Makkari, a deaf superhero, as well as Kumail Nanjani's Kingo, the universe's first Middle-Eastern hero. Although, the character making the biggest impression on headlines is Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos.
The reason Henry's character is drawing such a buzz is that he's a gay family man. Such representation is a first for the MCU and is why Phastos has everyone watching. Keep in mind that Henry playing a homosexual man isn't all that surprising to see onscreen. This isn't the 1980s, after all.
What's put fans on alert is the family by his side. Phastos' husband and son appear alongside him in a new TV spot, confirming their place as the universe's first LGBTQ household. It's a monumental moment for individuals striving to see more characters like themselves on the big screen, except audiences need to know Phastos and his husband aren't the first gay Marvel couple.
The Runaways Did It First
In case anyone's not caught up on Hulu's Runaways, the series follows a gaggle of teenagers whose parents get mixed up in an evil alien plot. The kids grow close while evading capture, occasionally coupling up during quiet moments. Two of the teens who become romantically involved are Karolina Dean (Virginia Gardner) and Nico Minoru (Lyrica Okano). They initially have interests in other group members, but after some soul-searching, Nico confesses her love to Karolina, becoming an out lesbian couple in the end.
Nico and Karolina pertain to Marvel's Eternals because they're actually the first gay couple onscreen, not Phastos and his husband. They're technically not members of the MCU since the Hulu storyline isn't canon, but that doesn't take anything away from the Runaways beating Eternals to the punch.
It's also worth mentioning that while Nico and Karolina don't exist in the Prime MCU, recent theories surrounding the multiverse suggest that all or at least most of the Marvel TV universes exist alongside each other. Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness rumors claim they'll feature characters from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, as well as cameos from Netflix's Defenders series. Assuming those claims hold water, it wouldn't be surprising to learn Hulu's Runaways are equal members of the multiverse.
Whether they are or aren't, Nico and Karolina accomplished what Phastos did years before he and his lover did. The couple broke barriers for LGBTQ+ individuals striving to see more inclusive casts, quickly becoming a fan-favorite pair in the process, well before the hype around Eternals surged.
Family First
There is something to say about Eternals reaching an echelon that Nico and Karolina never did: a complete LGBTQ+ family. While the Runaways couple managed to showcase several steamy scenes during its short run, the pair never got past the honeymoon stage of their relationship. Things went poor shortly after, and the prospect of starting a family never came up.
For Phastos, however, that's where his mindset is at in the upcoming film. The "Protect" TV spot emphasizes his desire to protect the ones he loves: his husband and son. Furthermore, it's safe to assume Phastos' actions in the film will revolve around his family.
There's also supposed to be a passionate kiss between the godlike being and his husband in the film. Haaz Sleiman, who plays Phastos' husband, confirmed to NewNowNext that the two would share an onscreen kiss. Yet another reason to believe the Phastos' clan has an integral role in the plot.
In any case, Disney taking a step forward to inclusivity is another step in the right direction. The media giant's gone years neglecting characters from all walks of life in their movies, but the introduction of Phastos (Henry) changes that. It's still early to say if Disney has plans to feature a trans character next, or a nonbinary one, or just an androgynous LGBTQ+ ally, but their willingness to gamble on Phastos says we'll see a more varied group of heroes in Phase 5.