‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ winner Shea Couleé reportedly cast in historic Marvel role: ‘Hype increased by 100,000’

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Shea Couleé was reportedly cast in Marvel Studios’ upcoming series Ironheart, marking them the first drag queen to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A Drag Race fan favorite, the announcement came just one week after Shea Couleé placed third on the franchise’s seventh season of its All Stars spin-off. The drag queen, best known for their All Stars 5 win, shared this Instagram post to announce their latest feat and express their gratitude toward Marvel Studios.

“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,” Couleé wrote. “I look forward to sharing the exciting new chapter with you all.”

Fellow Drag Race alums were elated to hear of Couleé’s historic achievement for LGBTQ representation in media.

“Congrats! I couldn’t think of anyone more perfect for opportunities like this,” commented Blu Hydrangea, winner of Drag Race vs. The World.

“Oh, Shea, I’m so happy for you and can’t wait to watch,” said Chad Michaels, winner of All Stars season one.

Fans also took to TikTok to share their excitement for Couleé’s surprise casting. TikToker Joe posted this video to share the news with younger members of the Drag Race fandom.

“I’m very curious to see what role they’ll be playing,” Joe wrote in the overlay text. “Shea seemed very excited about it, so it could be a big part.”

“I’M SOOOOOO EXCITED FOR SHEA!!!!!!” a fan commented.

“Hype increased by 100,000 bc Ms. Couleé is an icon this show‘s gonna be good,” another wrote.

The mystery surrounding Shea Couleé’s “secret role” in Ironheart will not be revealed for some time, as Ironheart will be released on Disney+ in Fall 2023. According to Deadline, “the series will star Dominique Thorne as Marvel character Riri Williams, a genius inventor and creator of the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man.” The show also cast In The Heights star Anthony Ramos for an undisclosed role in the show earlier this year.

Fans on Twitter theorized that Couleé will play Shade, Marvel’s drag queen superhero that has appeared in X-Men comics. Sina Grace, the co-creator of Shade, told The WOW Report that his inspiration for the heroine included Couleé and other Drag Race queens such as The Vixen, Monét X Change and Dax ExclamationPoint.

“I’m hopeful!!” a Twitter user said. “This could potentially skyrocket Shea into another level of fame. Like WAY beyond any other Drag Race contestant.”

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