Shea Couleé, the drag queen who won season five of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, has secured a role in Marvel Studios’ “Ironheart,” which is slated for release on Disney+ in fall of 2023.
“It’s really so humbling to be able to crossover into a much more mainstream avenue, and push the needle forward as far as drag is concerned, in the way that it’s consumed and in pop culture,” Couleé told E! News. “I’m so deeply excited for everyone to see what this role is, what it entails and everything it is.”
“Everyone at Marvel has been so unbelievably open and receptive to my experiences and my expertise about drag,” Couleé noted, “and they’ve allowed me to really come in to the MCU and put my very specific Shea Coulee print on the Marvel Universe.”
“Acting was my first love long before Drag,” Couleé wrote in an Instagram post.
A description of the show says, “Ironheart stars Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man.”
Marvel Studios’ “Loki,” a Disney+ series that was released last year, included a brief exchange that indicated Loki is bisexual — a character asked Loki about “would-be princesses, or perhaps another prince?”
“A bit of both, I suspect the same as you,” Loki replied.
Disney angered social conservatives earlier this year when it publicly opposed a Florida state law that included a section that prohibited teaching young school children about sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards,” the law states.
Disney issued a statement declaring its intent to push for the repeal of the law. “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” the statement said.