How Representation Inspired Marvel's First Openly Transgender Actor

Earlier this summer, Zach Barack made history as the first openly transgender actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

Over two months later, PRIDE caught up with the actor on his groundbreaking role, the future of Marvel and trans superheroes, the glorious announcement of Valkyrie's identity, and of course, Jake Gyllenhall's cats. 

PRIDE: How does it feel to be a part of Marvel’s first wave of openly trans-inclusive projects?

Zach Barack: It’s probably obvious to say "it’s an honor," but I tend to ramble and I think I’ll save us time by distilling it down to that—because it really is an honor. I’m a little greedy, so I want more for us and myself in terms of being included in this universe, but I’m so grateful to have even dipped my toe into a studio that has been so carefully built for years. I mean, think about how neat that is to know they take so much care and time into every detail and wanted me to be a detail.

Were you playing your character in the film as if they were trans?

I’m always trans so it’s always hard to really address this in a way that is authentic without giving a cop-out answer, but basically yes and no. I’m always trans as a person so it’s kind of just part of me always inside—even if I play a character who isn’t explicitly trans. In this case, it’s never spoken about in the movie and I’m just a kid who is along for the ride. But, that’s kind of what’s important: that a trans actor is allowed to come along for the ride. I mean ideally, trans people would be getting parts for cis and trans characters, so in the end, on the occasions when the identity of the character isn’t discussed, people will find it meaningful in their own personal ways. At least I hope so!

Marvel has been criticized for not making LGBTQ characters explicit to the audience. Is it enough to have LGBTQ people just playing these characters?

Well, comics—specifically Stan Lee’s work—have always been about drawing parallels to the real world and the trials/tribulations of marginalized people. It started with conversations about the Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust—like specifically looking at the original X-Men comics is a good way to show that. And in movies that’s been reflected too. X2 has a scene where Bobby/Iceman’s parents ask if he’s ever tried "just not being a mutant" which is like the question all parents ask their queer kids. Captain America: Civil War was a commentary on government influence on individual liberty, another conversation that is indivisible from identity politics.

This is all meaningful and a really powerful way to teach these topics to folks who might not otherwise have those conversations. That info. is not always readily available depending on accessibility. All of that being said, there is a very thin line between using metaphor to empower people versus avoiding addressing their struggles.

I think we need to push a little harder to actually make these characters of marginalized identities real parts of the story and address their issues, without ogling at them and finding them "interesting." The point of the stories needs to be improving life for these folks, not just making a spectacle. It’s a hard line, but I think Marvel is trying to be tactful and sometimes that takes time. It’s important to do this right and I’ve never worried about that going forward.

Marvel just announced that Valkyrie will officially be the MCU's first queer hero. What's it like to see superhero media starting to get more and more diverse and representative of LGBTQ+ people?

There are people at so many intersections who are seeing themselves onscreen through her. I mean, you look at Tessa Thompson and you can easily just say, 'Hey, we have a queer hero.' But, like when you zoom out, you realize there are so many people that are impacted by Valkyrie not just as a queer hero, but as a queer, Black woman.

I’m really inspired by her and I think she means so much to folks who can engage with that character through their respective experiences. People are usually not just one thing and here’s an incredible way to show that in the mainstream media.

Phase 4 of the MCU is also going to get incredibly diverse. Why do you think it's important for people to see themselves as superheroes?

I can only speak on my experiences, but for me with being trans, it was about knowing people like me existed. You have to see yourself somewhere before you even know what you could look like, if that makes sense. I hardly knew trans people existed as a kid and my only real examples were a trans boy who was brutalized in the rural midwest (Boys Don’t Cry), and then in high school, I got to see a few of us start to poke through the media slowly, like Laverne Cox. But think about that, I didn’t even know I could exist as people see and know me now, as I see myself. Which is to say, I didn’t know I could exist.

When I was at camp once, and I vividly remember this, I was given an exercise to visualize my older self. I couldn’t. Like at all. Now, I know why. Because I was socialized to think of myself as growing into a woman, but that felt so, so wrong. If I could have seen myself on screen earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have felt so hopeless. Maybe, I wouldn’t have worried I didn’t have a future.

Any hopes or wishes for who our first trans superhero could be?

*Cough* I’d love to do it *cough*

No, I’m just kidding. Honestly, I’ve worked with so many incredible trans people, any of them could fucking rock that. Jari Jones and I worked on a few scenes in the Transparent finale together and I know she’d kill it. As would Alexandra Grey, Alexandra Billings, Trace Lysette, Ian Harvey, Theo Tiedemann; I mean I have to cut myself off because otherwise, this will be a listicle. But truly there’s no shortage of people who I’ve seen work who could knock it out of the park.

And the people I haven’t worked with also, but just admire from afar: Indya Moore, MJ Rodriguez, and Laverne Cox. I mean, I really love being trans so much. Like, wow. Sometimes I take for granted that I get to be a part of this community, that I get to share space with people who take on a lot of emotional labor and work so hard to make this world better.

Do you follow Jake Gyllenhaal’s cats on Instagram? Did you meet him or the cats on set?

Haha, I only really met him once briefly, like we shook hands. He seems like a great guy and everyone who works with him seems to love him. Wish I’d met the cats though, that’s the biggest tragedy.