DC/WB Films/Worlds (No Spoilers)

[Frontier]

I wonder if at some point we will run into a situation where black character will have to be recast as asian.

Isn't that what happened with the Power Rangers movie?

[Agent Z]

I do understand the frustration of redhead characters not being redheads in live action.

I also can't help but notice the glaring hypocrisy when these complaints are non-existent or at least nowhere near as vocal when it's white actors with black, brown or blonde hair playing redheaded characters. See Roy Harper in Arrow, Daredevil in both the movie and the Netflix show, Grace Choi in CW's Black Lightning, Colleen Wing in Netflix's Iron Fist, Pat and Yolanda in CW's Stargirl, almost every live action version of Jimmy Olsen, Patsy in Netflix's Jessica Jones, Lana Lang in Smallville etc.

[manwhohaseverything]

I have to clarify that my post wasn't necessarily connected to racebending in this situation and black adam movie.It was just a general frustration at certain treatments and bigotry of low expectation.

[The Darknight Detective]

I do understand the frustration of redhead characters not being redheads in live action.

I also can't help but notice the glaring hypocrisy when these complaints are non-existent or at least nowhere near as vocal when it's white actors with black, brown or blonde hair playing redheaded characters. See Roy Harper in Arrow, Daredevil in both the movie and the Netflix show, Grace Choi in CW's Black Lightning, Colleen Wing in Netflix's Iron Fist, Pat and Yolanda in CW's Stargirl, almost every live action version of Jimmy Olsen, Patsy in Netflix's Jessica Jones, Lana Lang in Smallville etc.

Vicki Vale, too.

[Agent Z]

Vicki Vale, too.

Yeah, her too. I thought I'd missed someone.

[Artemisfanboy]

I do understand the frustration of redhead characters not being redheads in live action.

I also can't help but notice the glaring hypocrisy when these complaints are non-existent or at least nowhere near as vocal when it's white actors with black, brown or blonde hair playing redheaded characters. See Roy Harper in Arrow, Daredevil in both the movie and the Netflix show, Grace Choi in CW's Black Lightning, Colleen Wing in Netflix's Iron Fist, Pat and Yolanda in CW's Stargirl, almost every live action version of Jimmy Olsen, Patsy in Netflix's Jessica Jones, Lana Lang in Smallville etc.

Not really. Its's still annoying but it's casting a white actor with the wrong hair color is still closer than casting an actor of a different race. I really don't want to dwell on this. I have no ill will towards Swindell or Hodge as people. I'm not happy with the casting, particularly with Maxine, but complaining about it won't change anything. Right now I'm scared they might change her in the comics when she's fully reintroduced ignoring her appearance in Doomsday clock, and all I can do is hope it doesn't happen.

[Steel Inquisitor]

I have to clarify that my post wasn't necessarily connected to racebending in this situation and black adam movie.It was just a general frustration at certain treatments and bigotry of low expectation.

But why bring it up about low expectations if the Black Adam movie did the opposite? Even a role like Cyclone going to a black actress is a win for representation, but we do know the movie itself has two huge minority roles, Hawkman and the main lead itself, Black Adam. And the DCEU has made huge progress with roles like this over the years. Like Shazam, Aquaman and Justice League. It's just so strange how all this progress on the DC side hasn't impacted how you see it.

[El_Gato]

But why bring it up about low expectations if the Black Adam movie did the opposite? Even a role like Cyclone going to a black actress is a win for representation, but we do know the movie itself has two huge minority roles, Hawkman and the main lead itself, Black Adam. And the DCEU has made huge progress with roles like this over the years. Like Shazam, Aquaman and Justice League. It's just so strange how all this progress on the DC side hasn't impacted how you see it.

I don’t see any of those race swaps as positive, more like pandering or putting a band aide on a wound that requires stitches so to speak. Instead of pushing already established POC, they race swap White characters that will always be White everywhere else (including their next live action interpretation). In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t do anything for diversity in the long run because that character is only non White in that specific movie, everywhere else they’re White (see Black Canary, Hawkman, Catwoman...etc).

Who cares about a Black Cyclone when Bumblebee, Natasha Irons, and Rocket exist

[Frontier]

I do understand the frustration of redhead characters not being redheads in live action.

I also can't help but notice the glaring hypocrisy when these complaints are non-existent or at least nowhere near as vocal when it's white actors with black, brown or blonde hair playing redheaded characters. See Roy Harper in Arrow, Daredevil in both the movie and the Netflix show, Grace Choi in CW's Black Lightning, Colleen Wing in Netflix's Iron Fist, Pat and Yolanda in CW's Stargirl, almost every live action version of Jimmy Olsen, Patsy in Netflix's Jessica Jones, Lana Lang in Smallville etc.

I always respected KJ Appa for actually dyeing his hair to play Archie Andrews.

I don’t see any of those race swaps as positive, more like pandering or putting a band aide on a wound that requires stitches so to speak. Instead of pushing already established POC, they race swap White characters that will always be White everywhere else (including their next live action interpretation). In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t do anything for diversity in the long run because that character is only non White in that specific movie, everywhere else they’re White (see Black Canary, Hawkman, Catwoman...etc).

Who cares about a Black Cyclone when Bumblebee, Natasha Irons, and Rocket exist

We could've used Mr. Terrific too...especially after Arrow.

[Steel Inquisitor]

I don’t see any of those race swaps as positive, more like pandering or putting a band aide on a wound that requires stitches so to speak. Instead of pushing already established POC, they race swap White characters that will always be White everywhere else (including their next live action interpretation). In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t do anything for diversity in the long run because that character is only non White in that specific movie, everywhere else they’re White (see Black Canary, Hawkman, Catwoman...etc).

Who cares about a Black Cyclone when Bumblebee, Natasha Irons, and Rocket exist

It's not zero sum, and why is it pandering? You'd prefer even less diversity then what we have? They can push established POC and race swap characters, and the latter helps make the former safer to do. They lose nothing by doing this, and increase diverse roles and opportunities for POC actors. The DCEU would be a whole lot whiter if they did what your arguing, we wouldn't have two leading roles for POC's, for instance. Race swapped characters also make it easier to impact them in other media and movies/tv. Iris was black on the tv show before they did that in Justice League, Wally was black on the tv show before they reboot him into a black man in the comics. In the grand scheme things move slow, progress doesn't occur over night and its much easier for roles like this to get made then more obscure characters, they didn't pick those characters out of a that they're from the JSA. That's why Rocket, Bumblebee and Natasha aren't in this. I'm sure lots of black girls will care about the black Cyclone when the movie is made.

[Frontier]

It's not zero sum, and why is it pandering? You'd prefer even less diversity then what we have? They can push established POC and race swap characters, and the latter helps make the former safer to do. They lose nothing by doing this, and increase diverse roles and opportunities for POC actors. The DCEU would be a whole lot whiter if they did what your arguing, we wouldn't have two leading roles for POC's, for instance. Race swapped characters also make it easier to impact them in other media and movies/tv. Iris was black on the tv show before they did that in Justice League, Wally was black on the tv show before they reboot him into a black man in the comics. In the grand scheme things move slow, progress doesn't occur over night and its much easier for roles like this to get made then more obscure characters, they didn't pick those characters out of a that they're from the JSA. That's why Rocket, Bumblebee and Natasha aren't in this. I'm sure lots of black girls will care about the black Cyclone when the movie is made.

It feels a little disingenuous to me, but that's just a personal perspective.

[Artemisfanboy]

It's not zero sum, and why is it pandering? You'd prefer even less diversity then what we have? They can push established POC and race swap characters, and the latter helps make the former safer to do. They lose nothing by doing this, and increase diverse roles and opportunities for POC actors. The DCEU would be a whole lot whiter if they did what your arguing, we wouldn't have two leading roles for POC's, for instance. Race swapped characters also make it easier to impact them in other media and movies/tv. Iris was black on the tv show before they did that in Justice League, Wally was black on the tv show before they reboot him into a black man in the comics. In the grand scheme things move slow, progress doesn't occur over night and its much easier for roles like this to get made then more obscure characters, they didn't pick those characters out of a that they're from the JSA. That's why Rocket, Bumblebee and Natasha aren't in this. I'm sure lots of black girls will care about the black Cyclone when the movie is made.

And what of us who are concerned about that very thing? I like Maxine/Cyclone the way she was and don't want to see her changed for synergy purposes when the JSA finally get relaunched.

[Johnrevenge]

My main worry right now is the risk that Maxine will be turned in a cheap copy of Storm and all her essence will be erased.

[Ra-El]

I don’t see any of those race swaps as positive, more like pandering or putting a band aide on a wound that requires stitches so to speak. Instead of pushing already established POC, they race swap White characters that will always be White everywhere else (including their next live action interpretation). In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t do anything for diversity in the long run because that character is only non White in that specific movie, everywhere else they’re White (see Black Canary, Hawkman, Catwoman...etc).

Who cares about a Black Cyclone when Bumblebee, Natasha Irons, and Rocket exist

Given the reincarnation cycle, Hawkman is really easy to race swap. They just have to say that he was born on a non-white body this time.

Actually, Hawkman is a great character to explore racial themes, since he was black, asian and white on his past lives.

[Will Evans]

And what of us who are concerned about that very thing? I like Maxine/Cyclone the way she was and don't want to see her changed for synergy purposes when the JSA finally get relaunched.

They didn’t for Black Canary nor Hawkman so far.