'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Actor Becomes 'First POC Transgender Character' In The MCU—And Fans Are Cheering

With great representation comes plenty of excitement. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has fans celebrating after trans actor, singer, and voice actor Maikol Roque revealed they're playing the first POC transgender character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Roque celebrated the achievement with a TikTok photo carousel shared on August 1 that has since garnered more than 1.7 million views.

The opening image featured a selfie with on-screen text marking the moment:

“Plan A: Get cast in a Marvel movie, become the first POC transgender character in the MCU, have the coolest screen family ever.”

@mmaikolafton/ TikTok

The next slide, emblazoned with the words "There was no Plan B" across the top, featured a collage of behind-the-scenes photos from set alongside a screenshot of Roque's name in the film's credits.

Urging fans to see the movie, Roque wrote in the caption on the video:

“Actually still in shock that this is real, it was such an honour being able to be a part of this movie!”

@mmaikolafton/TikTok

Roque steps into the role of EJ, the son of NYPD Detective Jean DeWolff, played by Liza Colón-Zayas. In Marvel Comics, DeWolff is a prominent ally of Spider-Man. Also joining the cast are Nina Rose Galano as Marley, EJ's sister, and fellow LGBTQ actor and Severance standout Tramell Tillman as Bill Metzger, Director of the Department of Damage Control.

Take a look at the BTS TikTok below:

Roque is among a small group of out transgender actors to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They also noted in the comments of their TikTok that other transgender performers, including Aneesh Sheth and Zach Barack, have appeared in MCU projects.

The achievement also places Roque alongside Elliot Page among the few out transgender actors to land roles in major blockbuster franchises.

That revelation quickly spread across social media, with Marvel fans celebrating what appears to be the first out transgender person of color to appear in an MCU film and another meaningful step forward for representation in the Spider-Man universe.

The web quickly lit up with reactions:

@buddie0.26/TikTok

@shimmmeringsunlight/TikTok

@s.bi.derman/TikTok

@fz060813/TikTok

@ollie_thefrog/TikTok

@pearlbound/TikTok

Spider-Man: Brand New Day didn't just swing into theaters. It debuted to $360 million domestically and $927 million worldwide, outpacing Avengers: Endgame for the biggest domestic and global openings ever. Fueled by rave reviews from critics and audiences, the web slinger's latest adventure also delivered the highest-grossing weekend in box office history.

For Roque, the film's record-breaking success is another reminder that there was no need for a Plan B.