Josh Trujillo wanted to create an openly gay character in the Marvel Universe that reflected the reality he saw around him when working on The United States of Captain America.
At WonderCon 2022, Trujillo spoke about how he approached writing Aaron Fischer, an openly gay character also known as the Captain America of the Railways in The United States of Captain America. “It was important for me to try and find an angle [for] him,” Trujillo explained. “Marvel has a lot of gay characters, but maybe they’re kind of shinier, happier or more outgoing. I wanted a character that kind of reflected the reality that I saw. I live in L.A. I live in the city, so there’s an unhoused population that is really unfairly filled with a lot of LGBTQ+. Aaron is a teen runaway and kind of reflects that reality.”
Trujillo continued, “It’s amazing, the positive feedback that I’ve gotten for advocating for that community because people want to see themselves in popular media. I think that’s why we’re all here, to a degree. We want to create stories that we want to read about in the world. For me, it’s always important to find something from the real world, find a social issue or find something that we can talk about in addition to having silly superhero fun.”
The United States of Captain America is a five-issue series published by Marvel Comics in 2021. While the series contains moments with Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, The United States of Captain America also focuses on Fischer as he investigates the disappearances of unhoused kids. Trujillo previously described Fischer as having been “inspired by the heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life. He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten. I hope his debut story resonates with readers and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.”
Trujillo wrote the first issue of The United States of Captain America alongside Christopher Cantwell, with art by Dale Eaglesham and Jan Bazaldua. The synopsis for the series reads, “The shield has been stolen! No one understands the value of the shield like those who’ve wielded it, so Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson set out on a road trip across America to chase down the thief. But instead, they find the Captains, everyday people from all walks of life who’ve taken up the mantle of Captain America to defend their communities. And for some reason, the shield thief wants them all dead. Can Sam and Steve get to them first? Christopher Cantwell and Dale Eaglesham lead a can’t-miss miniseries to celebrate Captain America’s 80th Anniversary, joined by a rotating series of creative teams to tell the stories of each new Captain—starting with Aaron Fischer, the Captain America of the railways, brought to life by Josh Trujillo and Jan Bazaldua!”
The United States of Captain America is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Source: WonderCon 2022
About The Author