Wearing rainbow merchandise has long been a calling card for queer folks — but for The Bear actor Will Poulter, it took on a different meaning (or two).
When Poulter posted a picture of his new shirt to Instagram, many fans thought he was coming out. The shirt, which features a hand-drawn design by Poulter, shows his The Bear character Luca pouring out a blender full of rainbow goodness.
But the image wasn’t Poulter’s coming out. Instead, it was to raise awareness and fundraise for nonprofit Choose Love.
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“I’ve co-designed this T-shirt inspired by my character from ‘The Bear’ for @chooselove with @everpresshq to raise proceeds that will help raise urgent funds for refugees and displaced people across the globe,” Poulter wrote in his caption. “They support with life-saving food, medical care and shelter for LGBTQIA+ community members and lots more.”
Poulter directed fans to the link in his bio to buy the shirt, which is only available for two weeks. “Please purchase for you or as a gift for someone if you can and thank you in advance for giving support to people who are in desperate need,” he added.
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Beyond praising Poulter’s important message and great example of allyship, fans wondered what the shirt might mean for the future of The Bear. Since Season 2, fans have been shipping Poulter as Luca with Marcus, played by Lionel Boyce. Season 3 came and went with almost no new development for their relationship, either romantic or platonic — but Poulter’s depiction of Luca about to taste the rainbow has fans theorizing that Marcus and Luca (aka Marluca) could be endgame.
Maybe we’ll get that confirmation in Season 4 of The Bear, expected to release in June of 2025. In the meantime, we can manifest and support a good cause at the same time by checking out Poulter’s shirt in the Everpress shop.
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