Captain Marvel Is Officially Queer: Marvel’s New Hero Reveals Their LGBTQ+ Identity

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Marvel’s new Captain Marvel is among the publisher’s most powerful queer superheroes of all time, as they reveal their romantic past with lesbian hero America Chavez. Hailing from the 61st century, the new Captain Marvel leads a new version of the Guardians of the Galaxy, who have traveled back through time to ensure the creation of the “post-scarcity, post-imperialist paradise-in-progress” from which they originate.

In Deniz Camp, Juan Frigeri, Federico Blee and Travis Lanham’s The Ultimates #8, the Ultimates go up against the new Guardians of the Galaxy, made up of new versions of Star-Lord, Cosmo, Ultimate Nullifier, and Captain Marvel. It turns out that they’re on a mission to save Ultimates member America Chavez, who was originally part of their group and in a relationship with Captain Marvel.

Sadly, America’s memories of her past have been excised by the regime of the evil Maker, who was using America as a power source until the Ultimates staged a rescue mission. While America is unwilling to rekindle a relationship she no longer remembers, the Ultimates and Guardians leave on good terms, with the futuristic heroes promising to aid Captain America’s team in their war against the Maker. Captain Marvel declares, “You’ve broken my heart, but my purpose remains intact.”

Who Is the New Captain Marvel?

The Tragic Hero Leads a New Guardians of the Galaxy Roster

Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe debuted in 2023’s Ultimate Invasion, from Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch. The series saw the time-traveling genius known as the Maker take over an entire reality (Earth-6160), using a time machine to tailor its timeline to his needs. This included undermining the iconic heroes fans know and love, either preventing them from gaining powers or corrupting them to his side. Ultimates #8 reveals that by messing with the timeline, the Maker destroyed the future of the 61st century, peopled by heroes powerful enough to know what was happening and escape.

While this future was destroyed, many of the Guardians survived, now marooned in the past – including America Chavez, who was captured by the Maker’s regime. The Guardians fans meet this issue are the heroes of a sophisticated future society, with powers that make the Ultimates (this reality’s version of the Avengers) look like amateurs. The Guardians are working to reverse the Maker’s manipulation of time and restore their future, but they still need to find their other surviving team members to stand a chance.

The new Ultimate Guardians of the Galaxy are led by Captain Marvel, whose civilian name has yet to be revealed. This Captain Marvel is not Carol Danvers – the current Captain Marvel in Marvel’s mainstream, who is played by Brie Larson in the MCU. Danvers’ Captain Marvel has already been shown in Ultimate continuity, and tragically died when Tony Stark tried to restore her cosmic powers.

It’s possible the new Captain Marvel is a version of Phyla-Vell – a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy who has used the ‘Captain Marvel’ codename in the past. However, it’s also possible they’re a totally new hero, as appears to be the case for the team’s version of Star-Lord (though we’re speculating he may be the mainstream Peter Quill’s son.) From the original Mar-Vell to Monica Rambeau, Genis-Vell, and Noh-Varr, a lot of heroes have used the Captain Marvel codename over Marvel history, so it wouldn’t be a huge step to introduce yet another.

Marvel Fans Have Been Waiting for a Queer Captain Marvel

But Many Will Be Disappointed This Isn’t Carol Danvers

Many fans will be excited to see the debut of a queer Captain Marvel, especially given speculation that Brie Larson’s character is deliberately queer-coded in the MCU. Indeed, Larson and Valkyrie actor Tessa Thompson have endorsed fans ‘shipping’ their movie characters in the past. Of course, this is still a far smaller step towards representation than if it were Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel, who often headlines her own series and is currently leading the Avengers in Marvel’s mainstream comics.

The Ultimates‘ take on Marvel lore has been notably progressive, and the debut of the new Captain Marvel follows the introduction of non-binary hero Charli Ramsey, aka Hawkeye, in Ultimates #5. In a series that has been pretty explicit in its political and social commentary, it’s notable that the Ultimates are shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most diverse teams, with the far more advanced Guardians echoing the same choices while depicting a utopian ‘happy ending’ for the Marvel Universe as fans know it. This is especially noteworthy given Marvel’s much-criticized handling of queer themes in its mainstream Guardians of the Galaxy comics…

Guardians’ Queer Heroes Have Fared Badly in the Past

Hopefully, the Ultimate Universe Represents a Second Chance

Al Ewing and Juann Cabal’s Guardians of the Galaxy volume 6 made headlines in 2020 with the confirmation that Peter Quill’s Star-Lord is bisexual, showing him in a long-term polyamorous relationship with alien beings Aradia and Mors. The series also foregrounded a new romance between Noh-Varr’s Marvel Boy and Hercules, as well as starring long-term partners Moondragon and Phyla-Vell. Sadly, the series was canceled soon after Star-Lord came out, followed by a new volume that dropped Ewing and Cabal’s queer themes and characters.

Hopefully, the Ultimate Guardians of the Galaxy fare better at introducing queer characters and romance to Marvel’s new continuity, especially given the tragic start to Captain Marvel and America Chavez’s relationship. So far, the new Ultimate Universe has been an ambitious and impressive reinvention of classic Marvel lore, and improved representation has been admirably front and center – comic fans can only hope that continues to be the case.

The Ultimates #8 is available now from Marvel Comics.

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