DCEU Has Finally Confirmed Its First Queer Superhero

For years, DCEU fans have clamored for more LGBTQ+ representation in the shows and movies. When James Gunn's Peacemaker premiered, it satisfied many DC fans with the inclusion of queer characters.

In Peacemaker, Gunn introduced the character of Leota Adebayo. A lesbian skilled marksman married to Keeya Adebayo. However, the recent episodes of the show confirmed another queer character, and this one was a bit of a surprise to fans. Read on to find out more.

Since the first episode of Peacemaker, Peacemaker himself (played by John Cena) has boasted severally about his sexual skills and shared rumors of other superheroes' sexual activities. In episode one, he claimed to Emilia Harcourt that he hadn't had sex in four years. A moment later, he corrected himself and said that he hadn't had sex with a woman in four years.

In episode three, Peacemaker is shown in post-coital bliss on a bed with Vigilante (played by Freddie Stroma) and Amber (played by Alison Araya). These scenes indicated that Peacemaker's sexual inclinations are to a range of people and don't depend on his gender identity.

In episode seven, White Dragon, Peacemaker's father, shared that one of the reasons he hates Peacemaker includes that he has "slept with the whores of polluted blood... and men!" This revealed that Peacemaker has slept with men and been public enough about his experiences that his father aware.

Despite his sexual experiences with men and women, Peacemaker has yet to claim a bi/pansexual identity, so fans can only assume and believe that his actions genuinely mean that he is the first DCEU queer superhero.

Asides from Peacemaker, there is another queer character in the DCEU, Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie). She is not exactly a superhero, but she has been a protagonist and a supporting character to the heroes when it aligns with her interests and goals.

The opening sequence of "Birds of Prey," in which Quinn was a major character, confirmed that she was bisexual ot pansexual as it was revealed that she had had failed relationships with men and women.

It was important that the DCEU acknowledged Quinn's sexuality as it had become an obvious and important facet of the character. On the other hand, Pacemaker is not represented as queer in the DC comics, so stating it in the TV series even if in an incidental way is a big move for DC.

The incidental reveal that Peacemaker has slept with men is an essential representation for the queer community. The fact that it was revealed in rage by Peacemaker's father, who is a bigot, also shone a positive light on the news.

Another crucial aspect of the reveal was that the other comments made throughout the series supported the idea. An example is that Chris Smith has several showed off his detailed knowledge of the size and shape of his male friends' genitals, to the extent of giving them nicknames.

In addition, when he talked about 80s rock groups in episode one of Peacemaker, he noted that the members of these groups were "real men, because they weren't afraid to be women," which fans saw as a critique of the modern concepts of hypermasculinity.

Peacemaker may be the first DCEU queer superhero, but he is yet to accept and embrace his identity. There are several fan theories for this, including that the ideals his father instilled in him as a child are holding him back.

Peacemaker may be the first DCEU queer superhero, but he is yet to accept and embrace his identity. There are several fan theories for this, including that the ideals his father instilled in him as a child have traumatized him and held him back.

This is a good reason to explain why he mocked Adebayo when she revealed that she was married and introduced her wife. It's an unfortunately common thing for people in the closet to mock openly queer people, and it affects even queer superheroes.