Mj Rodriguez wants Marvel to feature a strong transgender woman of color: We have the 'ability to play anything'
The Marvel cinematic universe has made efforts in recent years to usher in more inclusive characters, particularly focusing on women and individuals of color. Now, with the Eternals, the studio will introduce its first gay character and first deaf superhero. But the diversity won’t end there. Earlier this year, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that an upcoming movie will feature a transgender character and that the new Disney+ Loki series will reportedly have trans superhero Sera from the comics.
While Mj Rodriguez, star of Pose, appreciates the latest introductions, she’d like a transgender woman of color, in particular, to be taking on one of these roles.
“I feel like a younger audience hasn't seen a strong trans woman of color who is willing to take on [a superhero] role and do it the right way,” she said onstage at the 2020 MAKERS Conference. “I think I can play any role I put my mind to because that's my career. I'm an actress. I take my career very seriously and I think we have the option and also the ability to play anything that is given to us.”
Speaking with HuffPost editor-in-chief Lydia Polgreen on Wednesday, the actress, a self-described comic-book nerd, revealed that she’s always wanted to play Pixie, an X-Men character. Pixie is a mutant with magical powers and pixie dust, which causes hallucinations.
Rodriguez is often told by peers and fans that she’s a superhero already — and they ask why she’d want to take on a role that she already inhabits in real life. Her response to that is: “There's a difference. I'm playing a superhero in the retrospect of heart, emotion and Pose, but when it comes to seeing a character on the screen from Marvel, that's the action figure that a lot of kids want to grab and say, ‘Look, mommy, this is me.’”
Read more about the 2020 MAKERS Conference
