May 11, 2022

Kelly Marie Tran Wants Queer "Raya" Sequel

Kelly Marie Tran would be "overjoyed" to draw a sequel to the queer Raya and the Last Dragon.

"I speak for myself when I say that I would be overjoyed to explore it in any form, any sequel," Tran told Insider on the red carpet at the Hispanic Federation's New York Gala late last month.

Without claiming that anyone at Disney, or anyone else involved in the film, felt the same way, she expressed her own excitement about the possibility of her character Raya having a relationship with Namali, played by Gemma Chan.

In an article published by Vanity Fair last year, Tran said she believes Raya is a gay character. She even felt that "romantic feelings were developing" between Raya and Namali when she was in the booth recording dialogue for the film.

Again, she emphasized that she speaks for no one but herself, explaining how much it means to her that queer fans identify with the characters in the film.

"If you're watching this film and you're seeing representation in a way that feels really real and authentic to you, I think it's real and authentic," she said.

"And she said, 'I think it's real and authentic.'

The "trouble" Tran supposedly was referring to is Disney's refusal to acknowledge any kind of relationship between Raya's characters.

Despite the claims of some Disney upper management--Disney president Callie Burke recently said that as a mother of two queer children, she supports Disney's "having more LGBTQIA characters in our stories"--Disney has been exceptionally slow to include queer characters in its productions. Indeed, executives from various Disney divisions, including Disney Channel and Pixar Animation Studios, have been accused of actively excluding LGBTQ characters from the company's productions.

Disney has long tried to appease the widest possible audience, but recent public attacks from conservative politicians targeting the company's more progressive moves may force Mickey's gloved hand. For Tran, it is clear where Disney should focus its efforts.

"I want to live in a world where all types of people can see themselves in these movies," she said in an interview with Vanity Fair. 'There's a lot of work to be done in that regard. I'd love to see someone come out who is a Disney warrior and is openly active in the LGBTQ community. I'd like to see representation from people who maybe aren't able-bodied people. I'm hopeful. I'm hoping.