DC Media: TV Shows, Animated Movies and Video Games

[Rac7d*]

Why not just throw in Vixen? It's not like the CW is doing anything with Mari.

She is suppose to get her own show

[Robotman]

To me these casting choices just amount to tv/movie execs trying to get a cheap pat on the back from their bosses and also to garner publicity for their diverse casting. There are so many great characters who get overlooked and this really doesn’t help. I’m totally fine with Khalid as Dr. Fate or even a black/Egyptian Hawkman. The characters’ origins have deep roots of cultural appropriation so changing them is kind of righting an 80 year wrong. But why not just use Dr. Fate/Khalid instead of changing Constantine?!? Well, at least he’ll still be British.

[Vakanai]

She is suppose to get her own show

Is she? I haven't heard that. I heard about the cancellation (can you "cancel" a show before it starts?) of the Arrow spin-off Black Canaries show, the pre-cancellation of that Wonder Girl show (which I approve of - why do a Wonder Girl show if you aren't using one of the Wonder Girls who've existed in comics for years aka Donna or Cassie?), and that they're still going through with Naomi (I know nothing of this character, but looking forward to it).

[Vordan]

I guess my issue with this being true is I’m wary of creating more GL/Flash fanbase wars, especially since those tend to divide along racial/ethnic/sexuality lines and breed incredible toxicity. John Constantine being racebent is going to get major backlash, we all know that. A lot of racist abuse will be aimed, but that in and of itself isn’t a reason not to do the change. I’ve got two major concerns with racebending John Constantine however:

1. This seems to be “Heckblazer” John given he’s apparently going to be part of the JLD. I don’t like that take, that’s not Constantine to me. The best usage of that take was by Tynion and Ram V, but the worst of that take is Tom Taylor’s and the New 52/Rebirth take where he’s just “magic Batman” who spams lasers. So up front it doesn’t feel like they’ve got the best handle on the character, and the DCEU so far has not exactly won me over with the times where they’ve deviated hard from more traditional takes.
2. The purpose of a lot of racebending is representation, so non-white people can get positive examples on screen to look up to. That’s great! That’s important! That is also not John Constantine. John is not a good person, a hero, or a role model. Bloke got a little girl’s soul sent to hell and would throw his friends to the wolves in a heartbeat to save his own skin. He does exactly that in all the great runs, including the recent run by Spurrier. He smokes, drinks, and screws like there’s no tomorrow. If John’s the only non-white character on the team, I highly doubt they’ll keep those attributes, which again would mean he’s not really John Constantine to me.

No clue if that’s how it will shake out but those are my reasons why I’m not enthusiastic about this report.

[John Venus]

I highly doubt John will be the only non-white guy in JLD. They desperately want that Black Panther money.

[Frontier]

I guess my issue with this being true is I’m wary of creating more GL/Flash fanbase wars, especially since those tend to divide along racial/ethnic/sexuality lines and breed incredible toxicity. John Constantine being racebent is going to get major backlash, we all know that. A lot of racist abuse will be aimed, but that in and of itself isn’t a reason not to do the change. I’ve got two major concerns with racebending John Constantine however:

1. This seems to be “Heckblazer” John given he’s apparently going to be part of the JLD. I don’t like that take, that’s not Constantine to me. The best usage of that take was by Tynion and Ram V, but the worst of that take is Tom Taylor’s and the New 52/Rebirth take where he’s just “magic Batman” who spams lasers. So up front it doesn’t feel like they’ve got the best handle on the character, and the DCEU so far has not exactly won me over with the times where they’ve deviated hard from more traditional takes.
2. The purpose of a lot of racebending is representation, so non-white people can get positive examples on screen to look up to. That’s great! That’s important! That is also not John Constantine. John is not a good person, a hero, or a role model. Bloke got a little girl’s soul sent to hell and would throw his friends to the wolves in a heartbeat to save his own skin. He does exactly that in all the great runs, including the recent run by Spurrier. He smokes, drinks, and screws like there’s no tomorrow. If John’s the only non-white character on the team, I highly doubt they’ll keep those attributes, which again would mean he’s not really John Constantine to me.

No clue if that’s how it will shake out but those are my reasons why I’m not enthusiastic about this report.

Constantine's not a traditional hero in any sense, but he tries his best.

[Riv86672]

I highly doubt John will be the only non-white guy in JLD. They desperately want that Black Panther money.

Interesting way to put it.

[John Venus]

Now that I look back on that comment, it did come across as flippant. My apologies.

DC trying to diversify isn't the issue so much as they couldn't have picked a worse character to diversify.

[SuperX]

Now that I look back on that comment, it did come across as flippant. My apologies.

DC trying to diversify isn't the issue so much as they couldn't have picked a worse character to diversify.

They always pick the dumbest characters to swap in some way, when others would be way easier.

Plus while they are choosing the wrong characters for swapping they also ignore actual diverse characters just sitting waiting to be used, quite sad

[Agent Z]

They always pick the dumbest characters to swap in some way, when others would be way easier.

Plus while they are choosing the wrong characters for swapping they also ignore actual diverse characters just sitting waiting to be used, quite sad

Again, this is not true. Naomi is getting a show on the CW and Stargirl has two characters who are minorities in the comics, with a third one announced to be joining the cast in season 2. Cyborg is used frequently in DC media and Black Lightning has a four season show, with a spinoff starring Painkiller (who is black in the comics in the works). Ryan Choi was the Atom in Injustice 2 and Cass Cain was in Young Justice and Birds of Prey.

[Frontier]

Again, this is not true. Naomi is getting a show on the CW and Stargirl has two characters who are minorities in the comics, with a third one announced to be joining the cast in season 2. Cyborg is used frequently in DC media and Black Lightning has a four season show, with a spinoff starring Painkiller (who is black in the comics in the works). Ryan Choi was the Atom in Injustice 2 and Cass Cain was in Young Justice and Birds of Prey.

I mean, if they're race-bending a character instead of just promoting more of their actual minority characters, it still feels like a problem even if there are minority characters they use.

(And let's be real, Cass wasn't in BoP).

[skyvolt2000]

I highly doubt John will be the only non-white guy in JLD. They desperately want that Black Panther money.

To SNIFF at Black Panther money DC would need a BLACK character who has his own STUFF.

Luke Cage has his own stuff.
Black Panther has his own STUFF.
Static and Spawn say hi too as does Blade, Goldie Vance, Malcolm Dragon, the kid from Seven Secrets, Prodigy at Image and so on.

Black Lightning is the only one at DC that has that. DESPITE not being seen in outside media for years and having his last solo series RUINED by an editor.

They can't even SNIFF Black Panther.

Where is the world building for all these black characters at DC? World building of their OWN stuff? Not handmedowns from Batman or Superman.

I mean original black characters. Where are those solos? How many folks have to dress like Bumblebee or Vixen? Because man versus machine and daddy issues Cyborg is NOT it.

[Agent Z]

I mean, if they're race-bending a character instead of just promoting more of their actual minority characters, it still feels like a problem even if there are minority characters they use.

(And let's be real, Cass wasn't in BoP).

This comment is contradictory. If they are race-bending characters and using minorities from the comics, then there isn't really a problem. The argument that race-bending is a block to using original minority characters is easily disproved, especially when it comes to DC.

[Agent Z]

To SNIFF at Black Panther money DC would need a BLACK character who has his own STUFF.

Luke Cage has his own stuff.
Black Panther has his own STUFF.
Static and Spawn say hi too as does Blade, Goldie Vance, Malcolm Dragon, the kid from Seven Secrets, Prodigy at Image and so on.

Black Lightning is the only one at DC that has that. DESPITE not being seen in outside media for years and having his last solo series RUINED by an editor.

They can't even SNIFF Black Panther.

Where is the world building for all these black characters at DC? World building of their OWN stuff? Not handmedowns from Batman or Superman.

I mean original black characters. Where are those solos? How many folks have to dress like Bumblebee or Vixen? Because man versus machine and daddy issues Cyborg is NOT it.

Naomi had a solo and people have no problem dressing as Cyborg. The character is not universally hated no matter how much you seem to want him to be.

[skyvolt2000]

Again, this is not true. Naomi is getting a show on the CW and Stargirl has two characters who are minorities in the comics, with a third one announced to be joining the cast in season 2. Cyborg is used frequently in DC media and Black Lightning has a four season show, with a spinoff starring Painkiller (who is black in the comics in the works). Ryan Choi was the Atom in Injustice 2 and Cass Cain was in Young Justice and Birds of Prey.

The issue is we see race changing of established guys with LONG histories.

Excluding Black Lightning, Vixen, Naomi's eventually show and Doom Patrol/cartoon Cyborg-they are tokens with as limited development known to man.

Painkiller has been DEAD for 20+ years-I have that book he died in.

Are we going to see a Black Hellblazer book? NO. So what is the point of doing it?

All that race changing is doing is making it EASIER to ignore established POC.