Netflix’s 2025 Lineup: The LGBTQ+ Stories Coming to Our Screens
Netflix just gave us a first look at the films, series, and games arriving on the platform this year, and while the 2025 lineup is stacked, we have to be real: LGBTQ+ representation is still scarce. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for us to look forward to.
Among the highlights, we have a long-awaited sequel, a return to Rian Johnson’s murder-mystery universe, and a fan-favorite series that has unexpectedly entered the LGBTQ+ category. Let’s break down what’s in store for us in 2025.
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The Old Guard 2 – July 2, 2025
It’s been a long time coming, but The Old Guard 2 is finally set to hit our screens! If you remember back in 2020, The Old Guard took the world by storm with its high-octane action, compelling immortality lore, and—most importantly—its beautiful, centuries-spanning love story between Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), two millennia-old warriors who have fought side by side (and fallen in love) through countless lifetimes.
Following the success of the first film, Netflix greenlit a sequel in early 2021. However, production faced several delays, including an unexpected shutdown during post-production. But now, the wait is over.
Directed by Victoria Mahoney, The Old Guard 2 will pick up where we left off, with Charlize Theron’s Andromache leading the team of immortal mercenaries into yet another battle. And yes, our beloved Joe and Nicky are back, proving once again that their love truly is eternal. As part of the promo for the 2025 lineup, Netflix released a behind-the-scenes sneak peek, which you can check out in the embedded video below.
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – Fall 2025
Our favorite queer detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back! While Netflix hasn’t given us a precise release date yet, we do know that Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will arrive globally sometime in the fall of this year.
The film marks the third installment in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series, following 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. In those films, we saw Blanc use his Southern charm and razor-sharp wit to crack cases filled with deceit, betrayal, and the most questionable fashion choices imaginable.
This time around, Blanc finds himself entangled in what’s being teased as his “most dangerous case yet.” Netflix shared a brief glimpse of Daniel Craig alongside Josh O’Connor, sparking speculation about O’Connor’s role in the mystery.
But another big question remains: Could we see more of Blanc’s personal life? In Glass Onion, we got a small but exciting reveal—Blanc has a partner, played by Hugh Grant. While we don’t know if he’ll return in Wake Up Dead Man, we’re hoping Rian Johnson continues to explore this part of Blanc’s character. Given his knack for surprises, we wouldn’t be shocked if he does.
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Squid Game: Season 3
Who would’ve thought Squid Game would make it into the LGBTQ+ category, huh? Well, thanks to Season 2’s introduction of Cho Hyun-ju, a trans character played by actor Park Gyu-young, it has.
In case you haven’t seen the newest season, the show introduces Hyun-ju, aka Player 120. She is a former Special Forces soldier who was discharged after coming out as trans, leading her to enter the brutal survival game in hopes of funding her gender-affirming surgery and building a new life in Thailand.
While the casting of this character first sparked controversy—since a cisgender man was chosen for the role—after the show was released, her character’s story resonated with many, offering a rare moment of trans representation in Korean media.
We won’t spoil her arc in season 2, but we will say this: Hyun-ju is returning for the third and final season! With the stakes higher than ever, we’ll be watching to see how her story unfolds alongside Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) quest to end the game once and for all. As part of their Next on Netflix 2025 lineup, the streaming platform released some first-look images from the final season, which you can check out in the gallery below.
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Stranger Things: Season 5
We’re gonna be honest, Netflix didn’t reveal much about Stranger Things during their 2025 showcase, but they did confirm one crucial detail: the fifth and final season is coming this year.
Details about the final season are still under wraps, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates—including how Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) story is handled, especially after Will’s sexuality was finally addressed after years of speculation, with Will coming out—although not in a traditional way in season 4. So stay tuned for more as Netflix releases additional information!
While the LGBTQ+ representation in Netflix’s 2025 lineup isn’t as extensive as we’d like, the few projects that are arriving hold promise. If you’re curious about the full range of titles hitting the platform this year, check out the official showcase video below!
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Featured Image: Courtesy of Netflix
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