Hollywood has been slowly embracing the significance of having more diverse casts, with many movies and TV series now including characters who call tell specific stories that relate to their race, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or gender identity. What's more, mainstream movies and shows are finally embracing the concept of intersectionality - introducing characters that aren't just part of one minority.
In recent years, there has been a slow but significant push for blockbuster films and top-rated TV shows to include LGBTQ+ stories, which has subsequently enriched those projects with characters that have different experiences and points-of-view. Unfortunately, some of those fascinating characters were on shows that have ended or movies without sequels - leaving fans craving to see a little more from them.
Lito - Sense8
Lito Rodriguez is classic example of a fan-favorite LGBTQ+ character who had his story cut too short. The cancelation of the show was too expensive to make.
Portrayed by Miguel Silvestre, Lito was a charming and ionate action star from Mexico who found true love through Hernando. The journey of a gay Latinx actor who was known for his portrayal of masculinity in movies was certainly an interesting and unique story, and it's unfortunate that Sense8 had to end without developing the character of Lito even further.
Douglas / Gomorrah Ray - EastSiders
RuPaul's Drag Race alum Willam Belli.
In 2020, Willam became the first-ever drag performer to be nominated for an acting category at the shady zingers and quotable one-liners while still maintaining such a lovable personality on the show, there's no denying that this character deserves his own spin-off someday.
Adele - Blue Is The Warmest Color
Blue is the Warmest Color is one of the most beautiful and fascinating films about an individual exploring their queerness, and most of it comes from the character of Adele, which was portrayed by actress Adele Exarchopoulos.
In the film, which was adapted by a falling in love with a woman - Emma - and having her heartbroken for the first time. Adele and Emma's love story is both strikingly romantic and painfully tragic. However, Adele's story in the film has a very different ending than it does in the graphic novel, thus making it possible for a sequel to explore what happens to this character afterward.
Candy - Pose
Viewers had a hard time watching Candy die on Pose - not only because this was a beloved character played by the brilliant Angelica Ross, but also because of the unfortunate truth that trans women are still disproportionally murdered around the world because of transphobia.
Pose is one of the best LGTBQ+ shows of the so-called Peak TV era, and the character of Candy was a massive contribution to this cast of mostly Black and Latinx trans performers. Thankfully, subsequent episodes following Candy's death on the show have often featured the character appearing under different circumstances. However, it is a shame that her storyline is, for the most part, now over.
Elio - Call Me By Your Name
2017's career-defining performance from Timothee Chalamet as Elio.
While there have certainly been reports and speculation related to a Call Me By Your Name sequel, there's no certainty that this second installment will actually happen. Still, fans cannot help but want to see more of what happened to this character after he came of age.
Callie Torres - Grey's Anatomy
16 seasons later, Callie Torres fans when Sara Ramirez announced that she would be leaving the show on season 12.
In many ways, Callie Torres ushered in all the subsequent LGBTQ+ characters that came to Grey's Anatomy later. Even in 2020, Callie is still the longest-running LGBTQ+ character in TV history. Given how lukewarm her exit of the show was, there's no denying that she deserved a little more time onscreen.
Cameron Wirth - Doubt
CBS's 2017 legal drama series Doubt featured Laverne Cox as the lawyer Cameron Wirth. Not only was the series revolutionary for being a primetime drama on a broadcast network featuring a Black trans woman as one of its main characters, but it was also very significant for the show to acknowledge the character's gender identity while not reducing her to just being a trans person.
Seeing a Black trans lawyer on primetime TV was a history-making moment for the LGBTQ+ community, and it's unfortunate that Doubt was not picked up for a second season. Given the success that CBS All Access is having with spin-offs, fans can only hope for a Cameron Wirth standalone series.
Ramon - Here And Now
HBO's True Blood. However, the first season's ten episodes were enough for fans to be captivated by Ramon (played by Daniel Zovatto), a gay Colombian man who was adopted when he was 18 months.
Here and Now explored the complexities of two white parents raising a very diverse group of children - most of whom had been adopted. However, Ramon's story was particularly interesting, given that the details were very unclear regarding his adoption.
Davina - Transparent
One of the most complex and three-dimensional characters on Transparent was Davina, who was played by the legendary actress Alexandra Billings. On the show, Davina did a lot of heavy lifting to educate the protagonist - and subsequently, the audience - about the realities of transitioning and being a trans person. However, the character was also incredibly raw and real, never shying away from human emotions for the sake of looking like the perfect mentor who had all the answers.
Transparent had to end for very clear reasons, but there's no denying that the character of Davina could headline a fascinating spin-off series.
Dom - Looking
HBO wanted Looking to be a very realistic show about gay men existing in the modern world. Despite the show's shortcomings, one must note the importance of a character like Dom, who was played by actor Murray Bartlett.
With Dom, Looking explored a narrative that many LGBTQ+ movies and TV shows have historically ignored: gay men in their late 30s who are still struggling to get their act together. Given the complexities of being an aging gay man in the 21st Century, there's no denying that a show that focused on Dom would be very compelling to LGBTQ+ audiences.
