Should the MCU X-men lean heavily into the minority metophor?

[Devaishwarya]

In this fictional world...in which the movie will be set...Mutants (be they Black, White, Asian, Gay, Trans etc.) are the minority. I think that very basic understanding of the premise is lost on many readers in this "enlightened" present in which we are living.

Scott is no less hated and feared than Storm who is no less hated and feared than Mystique. They are ALL equally hated and feared and persecuted...for being Mutants.

[jwatson]

Those people who can't connect to the experiences of different minorities with prejudice shouldn't preclude those minorities telling those experiences



As opposed to the X-Men, who don't?

And those stories should be told in those settings. X-men are mutants who are feared and hated for being born different. That is part of their story. How that is interpreted or progressed or cross-sectioned though is anyone's guess but just because there are similarities doesn't mean it is actually standing in for it. It's worse to take something out that makes the x-men the xmen to make people feel safe. The x-men doesn't factually stand for anything in the real world, that is why it is a metaphor.

[CosmiComic]

In this fictional world...in which the movie will be set...Mutants (be they Black, White, Asian, Gay, Trans etc.) are the minority. I think that very basic understanding of the premise is lost on many readers in this "enlightened" present in which we are living.

Scott is no less hated and feared than Storm who is no less hated and feared than Mystique. They are ALL equally hated and feared and persecuted...for being Mutants.

Meaning what?

[CosmiComic]

And those stories should be told in those settings. X-men are mutants who are feared and hated for being born different. That is part of their story. How that is interpreted or progressed or cross-sectioned though is anyone's guess but just because there are similarities doesn't mean it is actually standing in for it. It's worse to take something out that makes the x-men the xmen to make people feel safe. The x-men doesn't factually stand for anything in the real world, that is why it is a metaphor.

They're only hated and feared because that's what Marvel makes them to be. Doesn't mean they can't change. Nor does it mean that idea still works

[jwatson]

They're only hated and feared because that's what Marvel makes them to be. Doesn't mean they can't change. Nor does it mean that idea still works

Yet people make the real life argument all the time in these very forums that they would fear beings born with super powers so if they feel that way doesn't it make sense that people in the MCU where they actually went through thanos would even more so.

[Devaishwarya]

Meaning...
Things haven't changed. The metaphor still works because they are ALL still hated and feared and persecuted, even now, with an entire Island of their own. And mutant children living in other nations are being incarcerated and enslaved and tested on.

[Kingdom X]

Did Twitter attack Black Panther for not dealing with Asian issues? I know Twitter can go crazy but it's not some bogeyman to justify never trying. Of course it's not feasible to deal with every prejudice at once, but every entry can deal with a different one. It's not like every X-man will be im every movie or show at once. And even seeing a X-Men show or movie deal with prejudice against Black Americans is much more relatable to me as someone of a different ethnic background, than the X-gene metaphor

That's a false equivalency. Black Panther is a franchise that takes place in an African nation and has a primarily black cast so it'd be ridiculous to expect them to tackle other communities issues.

X-Men on the other hand is a franchise that has characters of varying races, ethnicities, sexualities, etc. One of the benefits (and yes I know there are many downsides as well) is that anyone who has ever felt "othered" can see themselves in the X-Men. Heck I know I did when I was a kid.

So say we go with your suggestion and the MCU X-Men decides to tackle racial issues with a focus solely on black issues. Then what about all the queer X-Men fans who grew up learning the concept of a found family from the merry mutants?

Like Dev alluded to earlier I don't think we can expect the MCU to do all of the things people are asking it to do. In a 2hr film we need to introduce several main characters, the fictional concept of mutants, a compelling antagonist, adapt storylines from the comics, and apparently act as a sociology lesson on identity for everyone who couldn't be bothered to watch a TedTalk?

[CosmiComic]

Yet people make the real life argument all the time in these very forums that they would fear beings born with super powers so if they feel that way doesn't it make sense that people in the MCU where they actually went through thanos would even more so.

Some may fear them, but others may support or even revere them. It depends on what they do. I personally don't think people born with powers would be immediately dangerous. But even at that, does that mean it would escalate the same way as in X-Men comics? What if instead the mutants became the prejudiced ones and abused their powers?

[Devaishwarya]

Some may fear them, but others may support or even revere them. It depends on what they do. I personally don't think people born with powers would be immediately dangerous. But even at that, does that mean it would escalate the same way as in X-Men comics? What if instead the mutants became the prejudiced ones and abused their powers?

You mean like BoEM Magneto? Or Apocalypse back in X-Factor? Fabian Cortez in SWORD?

[CosmiComic]

That's a false equivalency. Black Panther is a franchise that takes place in an African nation and has a primarily black cast so it'd be ridiculous to expect them to tackle other communities issues.

X-Men on the other hand is a franchise that has characters of varying races, ethnicities, sexualities, etc. One of the benefits (and yes I know there are many downsides as well) is that anyone who has ever felt "othered" can see themselves in the X-Men. Heck I know I did when I was a kid.

So say we go with your suggestion and the MCU X-Men decides to tackle racial issues with a focus solely on black issues. Then what about all the queer X-Men fans who grew up learning the concept of a found family from the merry mutants?

Like Dev alluded to earlier I don't think we can expect the MCU to do all of the things people are asking it to do. In a 2hr film we need to introduce several main characters, the fictional concept of mutants, a compelling antagonist, adapt storylines from the comics, and apparently act as a sociology lesson on identity for everyone who couldn't be bothered to watch a TedTalk?

What false equivalency? Of course BP wouldn't tackle other issues. In the same way, not every X-Men movie or show has to either. It just depends on which x-men are in the specific project. If an X-Men project tackles Black issues, does that preclude the next one dealing with other issues? Where did this zero sum diversity idea even come from?

And when did anyone ask for a Ted Talk? Do other shows and movies dealing with prejudice need to become PSAs? No, of course not. It's not as hard as some are necessarily making it out to be.

[CosmiComic]

You mean like BoEM Magneto? Or Apocalypse back in X-Factor? Fabian Cortez in SWORD?

I think so. It's wholly possible real life mutants would be in positions of power, ir gain them, and abuse then. Conversely, many who use their powers could be appreciated and even celebrated

[jwatson]

Some may fear them, but others may support or even revere them. It depends on what they do. I personally don't think people born with powers would be immediately dangerous. But even at that, does that mean it would escalate the same way as in X-Men comics? What if instead the mutants became the prejudiced ones and abused their powers?

That could happen too. Personally i would love to see all those perspectives explored. Preferably on Hulu. It's not that hard to believe there would be a group of mutants who have had enough and are on the wrong side of things but that's the same with a lot of movies and character types. I think i understand some people might be thinking it is going to be way too literal and way too finger wagging and that is not what i want. I have never seen roots or any of those other slaves movies because it's not what i want to see, i can read history. I want fictional x-men stories with diverse actors that show me what it's like to be a mutant born in a world where they are different and how those stories play out. I don't need the x-men to be my badge.

[CosmiComic]

That could happen too. Personally i would love to see all those perspectives explored. Preferably on Hulu. It's not that hard to believe there would be a group of mutants who have had enough and are on the wrong side of things but that's the same with a lot of movies and character types. I think i understand some people might be thinking it is going to be way too literal and way too finger wagging and that is not what i want. I have never seen roots or any of those other slaves movies because it's not what i want to see, i can read history. I want fictional x-men stories with diverse actors that show me what it's like to be a mutant born in a world where they are different and how those stories play out. I don't need the x-men to be my badge.

That's fine, but I don't get why people immediately jump to "it's preachy/PSA/Ted Talk" every time someone says "let's talk about the issues". Maybe for some of us, seeing real, modern bigotry being dealt with is escapism. And I don't feel like being preached to about a fictional prejudice anyway.

[jwatson]

That's fine, but I don't get why people immediately jump to "it's preachy/PSA/Ted Talk" every time someone says "let's talk about the issues". Maybe for some of us, seeing real, modern bigotry being dealt with is escapism. And I don't feel like being preached to about a fictional prejudice anyway.

But what does that have to do with the x-men being super powered humans of all races and nationalities being feared and hated for being born different? It creates a universal unity in caring about what happens to those characters. How is that impeding on anyone else message if people choose to attach real world issues to it in their interpretation?

With the mutant metaphor if done right your able to strip away all the whataboutisms or bias and get to the basic problem of people hate because something is different and i personally question the idea that there is a problem there. Why wouldn't anyone want to talk about fear and hate on the basis of not being the same despite race, etc, especially when it's the message the other tries to portray so much. "it wasn't because they were that." Then what was it.

[Devaishwarya]

That's fine, but I don't get why people immediately jump to "it's preachy/PSA/Ted Talk" every time someone says "let's talk about the issues". Maybe for some of us, seeing real, modern bigotry being dealt with is escapism. And I don't feel like being preached to about a fictional prejudice anyway.

The world in which they "breathe" and "exist" is fictional...but for many readers throughout the decades the X-Men and their struggles and the prejudice they experienced and are still experiencing as mutants, in this era, are very real.