Chanigng characters race or sexuality for DC characters

[Aahz]

They also casted a Half Asian actor for Beast Boy on Titans.

Mary Hamilton/Bette Kane is also played by a Asian actress on Batwoman.

And Wild Dog became a Latino on Arrow.

[Veni]

They also casted a Half Asian actor for Beast Boy on Titans.

Mary Hamilton/Bette Kane is also played by a Asian actress on Batwoman.

And Wild Dog became a Latino on Arrow.

Actually, Wild Dog's identity on Arrow is Rene Ramirez ( a Latino as you mentioned) but in the comics, Wild Dog's identity is Jack Wheeler ( a Caucasian man). This is not a case of changing the race of a character, however, as Rene Ramirez was an original character created for the show.

[Alan2099]

Actually, Wild Dog's identity on Arrow is Rene Ramirez ( a Latino as you mentioned) but in the comics, Wild Dog's identity is Jack Wheeler ( a Caucasian man). This is not a case of changing the race of a character, however, as Rene Ramirez was an original character created for the show.

I think that still counts. The character Wild Dog was still changed.

[Aahz]

Actually, Wild Dog's identity on Arrow is Rene Ramirez ( a Latino as you mentioned) but in the comics, Wild Dog's identity is Jack Wheeler ( a Caucasian man). This is not a case of changing the race of a character, however, as Rene Ramirez was an original character created for the show.

It would probably been wired if they had called a Latino "Jack Wheeler".

[Will Evans]

Bumping this thread.

Because of recent developments that Barbara Gordon is race bended for the new Batgirl film, with Leslie Grace.

And Robin Tim Drake’s sexuality change (outing) in comics

[Vordan]

Expect there to be more. WB seems to be hoping that they can compete with Marvel by racebending in order to diversify.

[Frontier]

Expect there to be more. WB seems to be hoping that they can compete with Marvel by racebending in order to diversify.

Will that even work? I don't think people are suddenly going to start associate Barbara Gordon with Dominicans because of a race-bending in a movie that will probably not change the character at all in terms of execution.

[Johnny]

If DC suddenly reimagines her everywhere as Dominican, similar to how they're seemingly doing that with Catwoman often being black in outside media, it could work. Barbara is a popular character but she isn't someone most people would raise an eyebrow if she's not a Caucasian redhead anymore. She's not The Little Mermaid and even that doesn't seem to be particularly controversial anymore. Which is the point of all the raceswapping going on, they want this to become the norm. The irony though is at the same time they're also relying on the shock factor to help sell their movie, and once you do that with someone like Superman or Snow White or eventually James Bond, then where do you go from there. That shock factor would more or less be gone some years from now and when it does in fact become the norm, the announcement that Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne are now non-white or non-straight, probably wouldn't mean all that much in terms of getting publicity.

[Alpha]

I don't think James Bond being black is for scandal publicity. Lots of people wanted Idris Elba playing him

[Vordan]

Will that even work? I don't think people are suddenly going to start associate Barbara Gordon with Dominicans because of a race-bending in a movie that will probably not change the character at all in terms of execution.

We’ll find out won’t we? If you stick with it across multiple mediums, that becomes the version people see as the “true” version. Nick Fury is black now for example. But Barbara is in multiple mediums already, she’s on HBO Max in Titans albeit as Oracle, so no I don’t see Barbara becoming permanently Dominican any more than Gordon will become black because of The Batman. But Hawkman? There’s a character who might permanently change if Black Adam is a huge success.

[Slaughter]

Against, against, against.
Good characters are iconic and distinguishable. When you do this, you pretty much remove years of iconic brand-building. Everyone knows Jimmy Olsen as a ginger kid, when you make him into a black guy, its like... who's this guy? Could be everyone, really. On the other hand, people would go like "lolwut" if Static Shock suddenly became an asian guy.

Re: Sexuality. Sexuality is pretty characterization important, especially for some characters. Someone in the thread cited the Alan Scott example, in that Alan being gay or bi totally ruins his dynamic with Obsidian - in which Alan is an old-fashioned individual who thinks that kind of thing just ain't right, because he's a temporal expat from post-WWII raised in a society that thinks homosexuality is a form of degeneracy (is it? Is it not? That's not the comicbook's place to tell you), but he is a good father who tries to do his best to accept his son even if he thinks being gay is wrong. That's good writing.

Sexuality is easier to change than race in comics (well, unless you get Superman's machine which turns you into a black person. How come some Supervillain never got his hands on this?), so I think a big issue is that it gets used as a clutch for when writers have no idea what to do with a character.

Tim and Conner probably have the most gay shipping of any male pair short of Bruce and Clark.

Which is why making Tim bisexual was such a bad idea. That, and the fact there was zero precedent for it.

It pretty much taints decades' worth of comics to retcon that the reason these two were such bros, is because they were actually attracted to each other. Apparently, some people can't see two men being best friends without thinking they are gay for each other.

And let us be frank: If they made Tim bi, then making Kon bi is but a step away. Its the #CurrentYear after all, and pandering to Twitter is all the rage.

[witchboy]

Saying that two male friends falling is love ruins male friendships is a pretty awful take.
DC has loads of male friendships. Superman and Batman have off and on had a team up series for over sixty years built on their friendship.
How many prominent male couples are there at DC? Midnighter and Apollo were created as a couple. Male friendship is a relationship that is well portrayed in comics. If Tim and Conner do become a couple there will be many many straight male friendships still out there.

[Johnrevenge]

We’ll find out won’t we? If you stick with it across multiple mediums, that becomes the version people see as the “true” version. Nick Fury is black now for example. But Barbara is in multiple mediums already, she’s on HBO Max in Titans albeit as Oracle, so no I don’t see Barbara becoming permanently Dominican any more than Gordon will become black because of The Batman. But Hawkman? There’s a character who might permanently change if Black Adam is a huge success.

I'm not that worried about Hawkman nor Cyclone nor Barbara being race swapped in the comics. If characters like Black Canary or Deadshot are still white in the comics, then I really doubt they'll race swap them. Unlike Marvel, DC doesn't do movie synergy. Also the Nick Fury that appears in the comics is the son of the original, and the original is still around (less used, but is still around).

[Psy-lock]

And let us be frank: If they made Tim bi, then making Kon bi is but a step away.

I sure hope so!

Saying that two male friends falling is love ruins male friendships is a pretty awful take.
DC has loads of male friendships. Superman and Batman have off and on had a team up series for over sixty years built on their friendship.
How many prominent male couples are there at DC? Midnighter and Apollo were created as a couple. Male friendship is a relationship that is well portrayed in comics. If Tim and Conner do become a couple there will be many many straight male friendships still out there.

Yeah, apparently male friendship is such a rarity in the media. Next time they'll say that gay love ruins straight love.

[Vordan]

I'm not that worried about Hawkman nor Cyclone nor Barbara being race swapped in the comics. If characters like Black Canary or Deadshot are still white in the comics, then I really doubt they'll race swap them. Unlike Marvel, DC doesn't do movie synergy. Also the Nick Fury that appears in the comics is the son of the original, and the original is still around (less used, but is still around).

Barbara - Not happening. I’m sure Taylor would if he could, he loves pandering to Twitter, but Barbara is so widespread in usage that one movie isn’t going to change that. She’ll be white in GK, in Titans, in YJ, in DCSG, etc and that will remain true going forward.
Hawkman - Very possible especially if the BA movie is a huge hit. They can always introduce a new Carter incarnation given what Venditti set up.
Cyclone - Totally dependent on who if anyone gets JSA. But she’s in a similar area as Hawkman.