Thursday 4 August 2022 04:07 PM Marvel goes 'woke' as Drag Race star Shea Couleé joins Ironheart after DC ... trends now
The Marvel cinematic universe appears to be heading in a 'woke' new direction, as it was confirmed on Thursday that RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Shea Couleé is joining the cast of its new Ironheart series.
Following the news that DC will not be releasing their $90m Batgirl movie after pushing of a politically-correct agenda by producers, Shea's casting was confirmed on Thursday, though her role is currently unknown.
Comic book fans have expressed outrage that Batgirl will not be released on HBO Max as planned after it was deemed 'awful' in test screenings, with movie critics pointing to the film's 'woke' lead character as a reason for its failings.
New role: RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Shea Couleé is joining the cast of Marvel's new Ironheart series
Shea starred on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and is set to appear in Ironheart as a series regular when it debuts on Disney+.
Sharing the news on Instagram, she posted: 'I'm trying to find the words to express the deep excitement I feel over this project. Acting was my first love long before Drag.
'So it only seems fitting to end my Drag Race journey and begin my acting career in the biggest way I could imagine.
Drama! It comes after rival company DC canned their $90m Batgirl movie after pushing of a politically-correct agenda by producers
Exciting! Shea shared the news of her casting with her followers on Instagram
'Stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been like stepping into OZ. Ironheart is top to bottom going to be an absolutely STUNNING experience for the viewers, and I'm so humbled everyday that I get to work on set with some of the best and most dedicated artists in the industry.
'Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my journey, and I look forward to sharing the exciting new chapter with you all.'
Based on the comic book character of the same name, Ironheart follows Riri Williams (who will be played by Dominique Thorne) as a genius inventor who devises an armour suit.
How much? Batgirl was canned, despite already wrapping production at an eye-watering cost of $90million (£75million) (pictured filming in Glasgow in January)
Dominique will make her debut as the character in the upcoming Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever ahead of the series' release.
Other previously announced cast members include Anthony Ramos, Manny Montana, Lyric Ross and Alden Ehrenreich.
While Shea's role is yet to be announced, the Queen already has a connection to the comic book universe, as in December 2018, the Iceman series introduced a drag queen character called Darkveil/Darnell Wade, who was reportedly inspired by multiple Drag Race stars, including Shea.
This casting has come just days after it was revealed that rival comic book company DC's upcoming Batgirl has been canned, despite already wrapping production at an eye-watering cost of $90million (£75million).
The decision to axe the film — which was slated to be released on HBO Max later this year — came after a series of test screenings were panned by audiences, and studio execs thought it would hurt the future of the brand as they seek to streamline the DC Extended Universe.
