Wokeism is apparently the new superpower of Disney’s flagship Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel has dominated the movie industry since 2008 when Robert Downey Jr. first played “Iron Man.” After Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009, box office records were shattered with “Avengers: Endgame” in 2018 and “Spiderman: No Way Home” in 2021.
But their recent films have produced underwhelming results when compared to previous installments. And critics say the studio “is in a bit of a slump.” How come?
Fans are being driven away by woke ideologies in the films, some critics suggest.
“Disney wants to impose critical race theory and gender ideology on American families,” tweeted Christopher Rufo, senior at the Manhattan Institute and founder of Drop Disney.
Indeed, Disney CEO Bob Chapek pledged “to be a better ally for the LGBTQ+ community” earlier this year. “[I] apologize for not being the ally that you needed me to be. [I’m] committed to ensuring that our company lives up to its values.”
Karey Burke, Disney’s president of general entertainment, echoed Chapek’s comments, saying she wants to see “many, many, many LGBTQIA characters” in upcoming Disney shows and films.
As part of its “Reimagine Tomorrow” campaign, reports the New York Post, Disney “promises that 50 percent of regular and recurring characters across the Disney universe will come from ‘underrepresented groups,’” described as racial minorities and the LGBTQ community, by the end of the year.
The post-Iron Man Marvel Cinematic Universe has incorporated more of Disney’s woke ideologies into its films.
Recent Marvel movies have featured pro-LGBTQ+ protagonists. “Eternals” in 2021 featured the first openly gay superhero, Ben, played by Haaz Sleiman, an openly gay actor. And “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” introduced fans to hero America Chavez, who sported an LGBTQ+ pin and talked about her “two moms.”
“Thor: Love and Thunder” featured several pro-LGBTQ+ characters, too. Taika Waititi’s character, Korg, alludes to his parent’s same-sex relationship in the film. And the bisexual hero, Valkyrie, is played by Tessa Thompson, who announced interest in both sexes in 2018.
When reporters asked the cast how gay the film was at a London event before its release, actress Natalie Portman said the movie was “so gay.” “Super gay,” film director and co-star Taika Waititi interjected.
And now, drag queen Shea Couleé will reportedly star in “Ironheart,” an upcoming Marvel series on Disney+.
“Everyone at Marvel has been so unbelievably open and receptive to my experiences and my expertise about drag, and they’ve allowed me to really come into the MCU and put my very specific Shea Couleé print on the Marvel Universe,” Couleé said in an interview.
“Lightyear,” a Toy Story spinoff intended for children, faced criticism for showing a romantic kiss between two female characters. Chris Evans, who voiced the main character, called critics and concerned parents “idiots.”
“Those people will die off like dinosaurs,” he added.
Disney has incorporated leftist ideologies in films, too.
In May, Axios asked thousands of Americans to score 100 major companies based on several metrics, including how much respondents trust the organization and agree with its ethics, culture and vision. Disney was ranked No. 37 in 2021 but plummeted to No. 65 by 2022.
The survey shows public trust in Disney is rapidly declining as more and more people grow disinterested in its culture, ethics and vision.
A concerned Tennessee father told Fox News Digital he promises to protect his daughter from Disney’s newer products. “There are so many other wholesome options for her. I think they’re going to lose on this wokeness gamble.”
“Our children are going through enough. They don’t need the woke culture to destroy their innocence,” another parent added.
Rufo also critiqued another upcoming Disney+ show for promoting LGBTQ+ and transgender ideologies.
“It’s all part of Disney’s plan to re-engineer the discourse around kids and sexuality,” he said.
