Fan perspectives of queer representation in DC's Legends of Tomorrow on Tumblr and AO3

Abstract

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2022) is a television show with an ensemble cast of existing characters from other DC TV shows, formed into a single, time-traveling team of antiheroes. The show is known for its inclusion of multiple queer characters, particularly Sara Lance, the show's long-running central character and captain of the Legends team and an openly bisexual woman. Fans use Tumblr and Archive of Our Own to discuss queer characters, canonical same-sex pairings, and noncanonical slash pairings. Queer representation in television matters to the show's fan community, and users are appreciative of and invested in canonically queer characters and pairings. Beyond the canon content, users are perhaps equally invested in noncanonical queer pairings and utilize manipulation of the source text in order to appreciate these pairings. Fans simultaneously enjoy watching and blogging about the show while also forming their own interpretations of queer characters and relationships. However, the central canon queer couple of the show is still by far the most popular with fans, and fans pay more attention to white characters and relationships, regardless of canonicity, than to the show's characters of color.