Comments on: Race In Comic Movies: Does It Matter? http://panelsofawesome.com/2010/06/12/race-in-comic-movies-does-it-matter/ More comics, movies, games and hobbies than you can throw into the sun Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lee Skwarek http://panelsofawesome.com/2010/06/12/race-in-comic-movies-does-it-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-231 Lee Skwarek Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:17:54 +0000 http://panelsofawesome.com/?p=621#comment-231 Look at how many people worldwide read comics, now look at how many people worldwide watch comic book MOVIES. What the layman knows about these characters is astonishingly shallow. Bruce Wayne is an orphan who lost his parents (Possibly to the Joker, *sigh* Tim Burton), is rich, becomes Batman, fights crime, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Catowoman etc., rears a young boy as a side-kick, the end. One thing the layman always knows is that Bruce Wayne is of Eastern European origin, end of story. As I mentioned in texts (RE: Nick Fury/Kingpin), primarily white characters can be made black easily (I loved Duncan's kingpin, hating Nick Fury though), but what were to happen if say Sylvester Stallone was cast as Luke Cage? Oh wait, it's just assumed at this point that that would never happen... it's a two-way street. There are a ton of superheroes of all races, it just so happens that the ones that have been around the longest and warrant movies made at this time are white (Most of them were created in the 1940's and 50's for crying out loud). Look at how many people worldwide read comics, now look at how many people worldwide watch comic book MOVIES.
What the layman knows about these characters is astonishingly shallow.

Bruce Wayne is an orphan who lost his parents (Possibly to the Joker, *sigh* Tim Burton), is rich, becomes Batman, fights crime, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Catowoman etc., rears a young boy as a side-kick, the end.
One thing the layman always knows is that Bruce Wayne is of Eastern European origin, end of story.

As I mentioned in texts (RE: Nick Fury/Kingpin), primarily white characters can be made black easily (I loved Duncan’s kingpin, hating Nick Fury though), but what were to happen if say Sylvester Stallone was cast as Luke Cage? Oh wait, it’s just assumed at this point that that would never happen… it’s a two-way street.

There are a ton of superheroes of all races, it just so happens that the ones that have been around the longest and warrant movies made at this time are white (Most of them were created in the 1940′s and 50′s for crying out loud).

]]> By: Mike Haynes http://panelsofawesome.com/2010/06/12/race-in-comic-movies-does-it-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-230 Mike Haynes Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:07:17 +0000 http://panelsofawesome.com/?p=621#comment-230 See I feel like Lynch is a different story because he’s not overly well know. It’s different with a character like Spider-Man, Superman or Batman. They’re huge characters that are easily recognizable even when they’re not in costume. It was easy for some people to accept a Black Kingpin because he’s not overly seen in comics and such but when your main character’s appearance is nothing like the comics, there’s a bit of an issue there IMO. See I feel like Lynch is a different story because he’s not overly well know. It’s different with a character like Spider-Man, Superman or Batman. They’re huge characters that are easily recognizable even when they’re not in costume.

It was easy for some people to accept a Black Kingpin because he’s not overly seen in comics and such but when your main character’s appearance is nothing like the comics, there’s a bit of an issue there IMO.

]]> By: Lee Skwarek http://panelsofawesome.com/2010/06/12/race-in-comic-movies-does-it-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-228 Lee Skwarek Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:02:41 +0000 http://panelsofawesome.com/?p=621#comment-228 While it's no secret that hollywood will cast their movies race "appropriate" I would have no problem whatsoever with seeing anyone cut their chops on a comic book character role. That being said there are certain characters that cannot make the leap due to their specific origins or the time in which they were conceived. IE We're not going to see a Japanese Captain America or Icelandic Black Panther unless you seriously dismantle what those characters are. An African American Wolverine, Spider-Man etc. could absolutely work, but money is king, and our society isn't that colourblind yet. (Jamie Foxx as Lynch anyone?) While it’s no secret that hollywood will cast their movies race “appropriate” I would have no problem whatsoever with seeing anyone cut their chops on a comic book character role.

That being said there are certain characters that cannot make the leap due to their specific origins or the time in which they were conceived. IE We’re not going to see a Japanese Captain America or Icelandic Black Panther unless you seriously dismantle what those characters are.

An African American Wolverine, Spider-Man etc. could absolutely work, but money is king, and our society isn’t that colourblind yet.

(Jamie Foxx as Lynch anyone?)

]]> By: Mike Haynes http://panelsofawesome.com/2010/06/12/race-in-comic-movies-does-it-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-226 Mike Haynes Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:17:48 +0000 http://panelsofawesome.com/?p=621#comment-226 While I don't think race should ever hold anyone back from a role in a movie or television show, I do like to see the characters from comics actually looking like the actors that play them in the movies. I had a tough time seeing Michael Clark Duncan as Kingpin because he's always been white in the comics I've read. However, seeing Sam Jackson as Nick Fury worked very well IMO because I've read the Ultimate Comics in which he is an African-American. While I don’t think race should ever hold anyone back from a role in a movie or television show, I do like to see the characters from comics actually looking like the actors that play them in the movies.

I had a tough time seeing Michael Clark Duncan as Kingpin because he’s always been white in the comics I’ve read. However, seeing Sam Jackson as Nick Fury worked very well IMO because I’ve read the Ultimate Comics in which he is an African-American.

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