First he was punching homophobes in Heartstopper. Now Kit Connor is completing his transformation to high school superhero.

Maybe. Rumor has it Connor is being considered for a queer superhero role in the MCU—a role that would have him reuniting with his Heartstopper co-star Joe Locke.

The rumor comes from The Cosmic Circus and My Time To Shine Hello—two accounts known for accurate predictions. Apparently, MCU heads may be eyeing Connor for the role of Teddy Altman, aka Hulking.

In the comics, Hulking is a Kree/Skrull hybrid (two warring species of aliens) who possesses shape-shifting abilities and is not actually related to the Hulk in any way. When the Avengers disassemble, he and a group of other superpowered teens form the Young Avengers, whose titular limited comic series launched in 2005 and 2013.

Related
When are we getting that Red, White, and Royal Blue sequel?

In the Young Avengers, Hulking meets Wiccan, aka Billy Kaplan, the reincarnated son of the Scarlet Witch. Although the series writers have since spoken about how nervous they were to introduce a same-sex pairing at the height of Bush-era homophobia, the two characters would go on to become one of the most beloved gay couples in Marvel Comics history.

Wiccan has already been confirmed in the MCU, portrayed by Joe Locke in the upcoming series Agatha All Along. That means that if Connor is cast as Hulking, the two would reenact their Heartstopper romance—only with more explosions and doomsday machines this time.

While some fans are criticizing the idea of casting the two actors as lovers once again, many are greatly anticipating a dramatic change of setting for Nick and Charlie.

For many queer nerds reading comics in the mid-2000s, Wiccan and Hulking’s relationship was their Heartstopper. With this potential casting, that sentiment might just become literal.

Even Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman thought it was a good idea at one point when they made Nick and Charlie-themed fan art for Young Avengers.

But it’s important to remember that this is all a rumor—Connor has not been officially cast. However it all shakes out, we’ve still got Joe Locke playing a gay character in a franchise that desperately needs some queer representation. And for those who can’t wait to see Joe and Kit back together, Heartstopper Season 3 is right around the corner…

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock our articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated