Avengers: Endgame, which opens Friday, introduces the first-ever gay character in a Marvel movie. The character, not a superhero, is played by the movie's co-director Joe Russo.

Writes Vanity Fair: “In Endgame, Russo's cameo is a little more substantial. This time, he plays a man who shares his story during a support group, led by Captain America, for people who survived the vanishing—a.k.a. Thanos's deadly Infinity War finger snap. He talks about going on a date for the first time since losing his male partner—which, according to the Russos, makes this character the first openly gay character in the Marvel movies.”

Said Russo to Deadline: “Representation is really important. It was important to us as we did four of these films, we wanted a gay character somewhere in them. We felt it was important that one of us play him, to ensure the integrity and show it is so important to the filmmakers that one of us is representing that. It is a perfect time, because one of the things that is compelling about the Marvel Universe moving forward is its focus on diversity.”

There have been rumors that a gay superhero is on the way in the upcoming film, The Eternals.

Attending the premiere of Captain Marvel in Los Angeles in March, Marvel's production chief Victoria Alonso told Variety that “the world is ready” for a gay superhero.

Alonso would not confirm rumors that the studio is seeking a gay lead for its 2020 tentpole The Eternals, but said,“We are going to cast the best ‘Eternals' cast that we can and when we're ready to announce it we promise you we will.”

She added: “Why would we only want to be recognized by only one type of person? Our audience is global, is diverse, is inclusive. If we don't do it that way for them, we will fail.”