The DCU Will Hit A Huge Milestone Long Before Marvel Even Tried To

DC‘s upcoming slate of movies will hit one major milestone that the MCU didn’t even try to until much further into the franchise’s run. The Authority is a new film set within the upcoming DCU, the new cinematic universe of the newly formed DC Studios led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Little is known about the film yet except for a couple of script updates for The Authority from Gunn, but when it eventually releases, it will mark a major point for the new franchise, with significant representation as an essential part of a few of the characters.

The Authority as a team features a unique cast of diverse characters that have a bit of a harder edge than what is typically seen in DC’s superhero teams like the Justice League. They act as anti-heroes instead, with a more brutal approach to crime-fighting and a bleaker outlook on the world around them. They are a fascinating team filled with extremely powerful characters. Additionally, The Authority has significant representation for the LGBT community, as two of their main characters are a couple.

The Authority includes Apollo and Midnighter, two characters who are the parallels to Superman and Batman, and they are in a relationship. Their wedding was a significant moment for the team, with The Authority #29 in 2002 revolving around the big day. During the New 52, Apollo and Midnighter were no longer married but eventually remarried during DC Pride 2023. It’s an extremely important aspect of the characters and one that DC has tried to explore throughout the history of the team.

Because there aren’t a lot of openly gay characters on the big screen for these major comic book franchises, having two of the most prominent characters on a superpowered team in a relationship is a big step forward. Hopefully, audiences will embrace the two characters when The Authority finally comes out, as they are some incredibly compelling characters that can play a significant role in the overall DCU as it continues to evolve over time.

Despite being such a massive franchise spanning over 40 movies and shows, the MCU took a long time to have any LGBT representation in their projects. Since Avengers: Endgame, though, they have worked on incorporating more representation than ever before, but it usually isn’t anything more than a passing moment, never actually diving into anything too substantial. There is definitely much more that the MCU can do in that regard.

Agatha All Along looks to take it one step further for the MCU with actor Joe Locke playing a mystery character that will be openly gay in the show. The MCU tip-toed around the idea of LGBT characters for most of it’s run, which means this is a refreshing addition to the biggest cinematic franchise of all time. Hopefully, Locke’s role in Agatha All Along can officially be the catalyst to make the MCU be even more inclusive than ever,something that the DCU is looking to do early in its universe with The Authority.

Sometimes, when a character or characters are gay in big cinematic franchies, it’s just a passing mention, never really adding to the story around them or the characters themselves. For Midnighter, Apollo, and The Authority, the relationship between the two characters is a vital part of them and the team. It adds an entirely new dynamic to the entire group and even their adopted daughter is a significant member of the team as well.

Jenny Quantum, also known as Jenny Quarx, is the adopted daughter of Midnighter and Apollo and is the leader of The Authority and the reincarnation of Jenny Sparks, who was a founding member of the superhero team. Jenny Quantum, Apollo, and Midnighter each play a significant role within the team, making their family dynamics an interesting aspect of it. It will be interesting to see if The Authority includes Jenny Quantum or if it will be before she is adopted by the couple.

Representation is an important aspect of storytelling and something that superhero films have typically shied away from over the long history of their adaptations. Over the past few years, the MCU has worked to incorporate more LGBT characters within the universe, but that was largely ignored for the first 10 years of the franchise. The Authority has the chance to hit that significant milestone much earlier than the MCU ever tried to.

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