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Marvel's First Lesbian Kiss Got Axed From Final Movie


Marvel Studios is known for featuring many worlds in the form of multiverses, and despite the MCU becoming more inclusive as they welcome a diverse roster of actors regardless of their race, gender identities, and sexual orientations, they have yet to fully embrace the sapphic side of their superheroes. According to a new report, the studio almost had its first on-screen lesbian kiss until it was cut from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s original script resurfaced online after it was posted on r/Screenwriting on Reddit, which contains Marvel’s lost opportunity to show its first lesbian kiss featuring Florence Kasumba's Ayo sharing a kiss with her partner Aneka (Michaela Coel) at the end of the movie. According to the script, the deleted scene takes place in Aneka's Wakanadan apartment. See excerpt below:

INT. ANEKA’S APARTMENT - RIVER PROVINCE - DAY

A house party is in full swing. Aneka, dressed in casual clothing opens a door, revealing Ayo in uniform.

Aneka: “General?”

Ayo takes in the revelers behind Aneka.

Ayo: “I am here on behalf of the Elders. They would like to offer you restoration as a Dora.”

Aneka: “The Elders? That is kind of them, something tells me I had a strong advocate... (in Xhosa) I accept.”

Ayo (in Xhosa): “I know.”

Aneka gives her a kiss on the cheek, Ayo kisses Aneka on the lips.

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Despite it being barely showcased on screen, the intimate relationship between Aneka and Ayo has been teased before the release of the movie. In the Black Panther comics, Aneka is Dora Milaje's combat instructor, and she is also in a relationship with fellow member Ayo. In the comics, they had to keep their romance a secret because it was forbidden, which also happened in real life after Wakanda Forever got banned in China for its queer characters, which disappointed but did not surprise fans.

In October, Coel told Vogue in an interview that it was Aneka’s queerness that made her on board with playing her. “I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana,” she said, “People say, 'Oh, it's fine, it's just politics.' But I don't think it is just politics when it affects how people get to live their daily lives. That's why it felt important for me to step in and do that role because I know just by my being Ghanaian, Ghanaians will come.”

Fans believe Marvel Studios has yet to improve its onscreen queer representation, despite introducing some LGBTQ+ characters already, because so far, what fans have seen are just side characters with barely any screen time.

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In case you missed it: Black Panther Star Letitia Wright Says She Wants To Team-Up With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will arrive on Disney+ on February 1, 2023.


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