Ruaridh Mollica is entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe with superpowers, and a point worth repeating: Who you’re dating doesn’t determine whether you’re bisexual. That’s right, another queer character is joining the MCU!
The VisionQuest actor confirmed that his character, Tommy Maximoff, is bisexual while discussing his own connection to the role. For Mollica, who identifies as bisexual and queer, joining a major superhero project also means bringing a part of himself to the screen.
“I feel like Marvel did a great job by casting a bisexual actor for this and it’s such an honor to be portraying that in the MCU,” he told Variety. “I feel so seen.”
That feeling comes partly from how Tommy’s sexuality exists alongside his attraction to Lisa Molinari. While viewers see him flirting with a woman, Mollica explained that the dynamic feels familiar to him as a bisexual person.
Tommy’s Bisexuality Isn’t Up for Debate
Discussing Tommy’s flirtation with Lisa, Mollica said the relationship makes him feel more represented, even though the character isn’t shown expressing attraction to men.
“Because that’s the whole point. It’s not necessarily about who you’re dating, it’s about who you are inside, and who you want to flirt with,” he said. “So I hope that me being bisexual and playing this part is good for people to feel seen and represented.”
It’s a straightforward observation that gets at a familiar frustration: Bisexual people often have their identities questioned based on the gender of their partner. Tommy’s interest in Lisa doesn’t contradict his bisexuality, and Mollica clearly appreciates getting to portray both without treating them as competing ideas.
His comments also give fans a more personal understanding of what the role means to him. Beyond landing a spot in the MCU, he gets to play a character whose identity overlaps with his own, something he hopes will resonate with viewers, too.
Before Marvel, Queer Roles Helped Him Find Himself
That connection between acting and identity began well before VisionQuest. Mollica has said moving to London and working on queer projects helped him better understand his sexuality, especially through the short film Too Rough and his breakout feature Sebastian.
“There was a short film I did called Too Rough, and that made me look at my sexuality head on,” he said. “And the same with Sebastian as well—it made me reflect, and that’s what I think this film is meant to do. From this film, I’m living my true self.”
He later told The Skinny that he identifies as bisexual but prefers the term queer. His move also introduced him to a community he hadn’t grown up around.
“The circles I moved in at school and uni were not really queer circles, so I only started to learn about queer culture as I was coming out in London,” he said.
Now, Mollica is bringing that perspective to a much bigger franchise. After finding parts of himself through queer characters, he hopes Tommy can offer fans a similar moment of recognition. The superpowers might be harder to relate to, but feeling seen? That’s the part he knows firsthand.
Catching Up With the Maximoff Family
VisionQuest continues the story that began in WandaVision and carried into Agatha All Along. Paul Bettany returns as Vision, the android Avenger whose relationship with Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, sits at the heart of this unusual family tree.
The new Disney+ series follows a rebuilt Vision as he tries to understand his identity and memories. His path crosses with Mollica’s Tommy, bringing the question of what remains of Wanda and Vision’s family back into focus. James Spader also returns as Ultron, adding another familiar complication to Vision’s search for himself.
Wanda and Vision’s sons, Tommy and Billy, were introduced in WandaVision. While Tommy is associated with superspeed, Billy’s abilities lean toward magic. Joe Locke’s Billy took center stage in Agatha All Along, which explored his identity, his relationship with his boyfriend, and his determination to find his missing twin.
That search helped set the stage for Tommy’s return. Now, VisionQuest gives Mollica the chance to introduce viewers to this version of the character, including the bisexual identity he shares with him.
