Valkyrie’s sexuality was a big topic of conversation, says Tessa Thompson
- Bang Showbiz
- 1 July 2022
Tessa Thompson wants to see more representation
Tessa Thompson has revealed that her character's sexuality was a major point of discussion for the people behind 'Thor: Love and Thunder'
Valkyrie’s sexuality was a "big topic of conversation" among the makers of 'Thor: Love and Thunder'.
Tessa Thompson has reprised the role of Valkyrie in the Taika Waititi-directed Marvel movie, and she's revealed that her character's sexuality was a major point of discussion before and during the shoot.
Tessa, 38 – who is attracted to both men and women, but chooses not to label herself bisexual – shared: "We talked about it a lot, it was big topic of conversation. Because I think rightfully there’s this real want in audiences to see characters be very clearly queer or LGBTQIA inside these spaces. And I think it’s hugely important to have representation.
"And also, as humans, I think that we are not defined by our sexuality, and by who we love. And so sometimes I think to hang a narrative completely on that is a way of actually diminishing the humanity of the character. Because you don’t allow them to be anything else."
Tessa admits it's difficult to explore the issue in real depth in a movie like 'Thor: Love and Thunder'. However, she's hopeful that it'll happen one day.
She told Yahoo Entertainment: "It becomes the only storyline, particularly in a movie like this where you don’t, frankly, have a lot of room for storyline,.
"So there was a lot of conversation in terms of how to treat that with Valkyrie. And I feel really good, personally, about where we got to. I hope that she’s a character that fans continue to connect to, that we have a lot of time to explore her, in all of her humanity. But whether or not she finds love in this movie doesn’t mean she’s not still a fabulous queer character that is open to finding love when it makes sense."
