Marvel has confirmed that Xochitl Gomez, known for “Gentefied” and “The Baby-Sitters Club,” will play lesbian superhero America Chavez in the upcoming “Doctor Strange” film.
While the studio hasn’t provided many details about the new movie, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed Chavez’s appearance in the sequel to the 2016 film during Disney’s Investor Day. The film is set to be directed by Sam Raimi and will co-star Elisabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Benedict Wong.
Gomez’s appearance will also mark the long-awaited arrival of America Chavez, a beloved character in the comics, in the live-action MCU. Previously, Chavez’s character did appear in the animated film “Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors” as an animated character voiced by Cierra Ramirez (“The Fosters”). Plus, that means this is the first real appearance of an LGBTQ+, Latinx superhero in the on-screen universe.
The film is set for a 2022 release, though it’s not known if we’ll be back to theaters by then or if it will be released at home. Due to the pandemic, the release date for the movie has been pushed back numerous times; however, if the current date holds, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” will premiere five years after the series’ first installment. The first “Doctor Strange” was a massive hit — generating over $600 million at the worldwide box office — so even if it takes a while to premiere, it’s safe to assume the film will still be wildly popular.
The character of America Chavez, sometimes called Miss America, first popped up in 2002, appearing in Marvel’s Vengeance #1 comic. She’s a common character in the New Avengers and Ultimates series, and she’s known for her quick wit and ability to literally kick holes in reality to allow for inter-dimensional travel. Born in the Utopian Parallel, a separate reality in the Marvel multiverse, she was adopted by a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx after running away to Earth. America Chavez is also the first Latinx character to receive their own Marvel comic series, penned by queer writer Gabby Rivera.
“So excited to be playing America Chavez!” Gomez wrote on her Instagram stories to celebrate the announcement of her part. “I still can’t believe this is real.”
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