Marvel Studios Denounces 'Don't Say Gay' Bill, But Fans Are Skeptical

After several exhausting attempts by Disney CEO Bob Chapek to do damage control surrounding his underwhelming response to Florida’s egregious “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Marvel has finally joined in the conversation.

“We strongly denounce any and ALL legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community,” reads a statement posted to Twitter. “Marvel Studios stands for hope, inclusivity and strength; and we proudly stand with the community. Today, we pledge to continue our strong commitment as allies who promote the values of quality, acceptance and respect.”

Marvel Entertainment was acquired by Disney at the end of 2009, eventually splitting into separate television and film entities. Although both have brought a handful of LGBTQ+ characters to the screen with properties like Jessica Jones and The Eternals, they have long undergone the same scrutiny for lacking representation that Disney as a whole has faced.

This is particularly of note since Chapek, after being criticized over the company’s financial support of Republicans backing the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, suggested the best way to fight for inclusion was to keep making “inspiring content.” But many critics were quick to point out that Disney — and many of the companies under their banner — are way behind the times when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation.

Marvel Studios’ delayed entry into the conversation was met with the same frustration.

On the one hand, it's good to see Marvel Studios take a stand after Disney couldn't seem to manage even that much until multiple waves of backlash hit.

On the other, companies can release all the generic supportive messages on social media that they want, but until those words are backed up by the content they produce and the way they spend their political money, they are, of course, just words.