Heart stopper Actor Joe Locke will make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Agatha for lifeTHE WandaVision spin-off series that brings back Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness. Months before the show's premiere, there was a certain level of backlash against the character of Locke, and that's something that has irked the actor.
According to Variety, Locke turned to his Agatha for life role along with the complaints some have made about his character. Not much is known about his character, who is credited with the name “Teen,” at this time. The character has also been confirmed by Marvel as gay, making Locke one of the few openly gay actors to play a queer character in the MCU alongside Tessa Thompson. Locke admitted that he hasn't given much thought to what his casting means for representation, as it's still taking some time to process the fact that he's now a part of the MCU.
“I've never really thought about it,” Locke explained. “It's one of those things that gets a little stressful if you think about it too much. But being on a Marvel show is the most pinch me What… The show never shies away from his homosexuality, but it's not a defining characteristic of his character.. It's just a layer of him as a person.”
The series never shies away from his homosexuality, but it is not a defining characteristic of his character.
While Teen's homosexuality is only a small aspect of his character, it still got a lot of people talking online after the movie came out. Agatha for life trailer. Some of the complaints came from other members of the LGBTQ+ community who felt that Teen was a “kitschy stereotype” of a character. Locke opened up about how this got on his nerves, as he sees the casting as “authentic,” making it contradictory for anyone who asked to start complaining about Teen in Agatha for life.
“It was like, 'Oh, why did Marvel do this over-the-top gay stereotype?'” Locke observed. “It really bothered me because I was like, 'You can't ask for an authentic casting and then get angry if you get a kitsch character..' I am fully aware that the Marvel fandom is much less kind than the Heart stopper fandom. There are going to be a lot of people who are going to hate everything about the character and everything I've done with him, and I just have to accept that.”
Joe Locke Reminds Haters He's on a Marvel Show (And He's Not)
Adding a parting note to critics, Locke also said, “Marvel fans are very open with their opinions. But I'm not on a Marvel show, so… [blows raspberry]. I'm doing the only thing they really want to do. Excuse me!”
Agatha for life will debut on Disney+ on September 18, 2024.
Source: Variety