The Mission: The Damnation of Michelle Rodriguez, and the Harder Heroes to Create

[Luck911]

1.If change a race in reboot style setting is anything more than minor annoyance you need to check yourself mirror

2.They are tons of minorities character they are used,I am not favor changing every character but until the barrier gets clearly broken these moves need to happen some time. Rodriguez didn't know their was female latina green lantern character.She complained when they were asking her to be very thing she would want a original character.

I will simply end with this when i see the Avengers movie poster it same feeling i guess you get when they change race of character.Sticking Latino, Asian or Black character doesn't make it better (yes i know Fury is on extended poster ) but i don't know to solve issue nicely that makes everyone happy

A.Take out old character for new one people get mad? ala Cyborg
B. You use Legacy character like John Stewart ,Jessica cruz, or Simon Baaz people get mad because Hal Jordan is one in the stories
C.You change the race so you keep the original character trying to add diversity but keeping original character .People get mad.

D.You leave things as is you leave clear probelm in place.

[thejka]

Did anyone defending Michelle Rodriguez's comments actually read the article? I hadnt heard them prior to the article, but it was just not a smart thing for her to say on her part. But no one should really damn her. She still wrong, but no one should damn her.

Superheroes are for everyone. There are no white people's superheroes. That's the point. The irony is that the Jessica Cruz character is not a race or gender bending of a character. She's her own character, in her own horrible looking costume.

The truth is as long as its good, people will forget. Sam Jackson's Nick Fury in the MCU is something no one complains about. I think if Michael B. Jordan and Jason Momoa are great in their respective roles (in a great film as well of course), the debate will mostly go away.

[Kikaider]

I couldn't get past the first few paragraphs as soon I started smelling an attack on Michelle Rodriguez. I'm not having it. I agree with what she said. You can dissect it as many ways as you like, but the point stands.

[Blind Otto]

I may have been looking in all the wrong places, but I have not come across any complaints about the casting of Aquaman. I have to wonder why not? Is it because of the vast number of GoT fans, or is it simply because our first real impression of his movie appearance was an amazing looking poster?

On the other hand, we have the Human Torch. A movie that has done its best to be secretive, that has had stupid rumour after even stupider comment from the cast, and seems to have gone out of its way to insult the fan base. In that setting, Johnny Storm's casting comes across as just another "what fresh hell is this", rather than a racist rejection of a black man.

The producers are the ones who shape our impressions. Theirs is the blame when fans (of whatever background) are unhappy. It is possible to recast a character in a different way - but most of us can see the difference between casting a really good actor, because he or she is perfect for the roll, and casting someone just to be controversial.

[Crazy Diamond]

I really wish some of the folks saying "create some new characters of color, etc." would take 30 seconds and do some research.

For example:

http://foolscrusade.blogspot.com/201...ced-indie.html

Here's a list of about 35-40 high quality graphic novels featuring brand new/original "minority" characters.

Google can reveal hundreds more if one searches "indie Black comics" or "indie African American graphic novels."

In an age of information, ignorance is a choice.

B.

You have to assume that the Rodriguez supporters are actually interested in supporting new characters who are POC. They never fucking show up and quite frankly they don't care.

Not to mention all the times where white directors, writers, game designers and the like have borrowed and whitewashed other cultures and the people from them when it comes time to put out their films, video games and comics. But see, that's alright because they're more marketable or some BS.

[Goggindowner]

The truth is as long as its good, people will forget. Sam Jackson's Nick Fury in the MCU is something no one complains about. I think if Michael B. Jordan and Jason Momoa are great in their respective roles (in a great film as well of course), the debate will mostly go away.

Sam Jackson as Fury is literally pulled from the comics, though. It wasn't a racebend, it was a selective adaptation of a previously existing version of the character. Hell, Ultimate Nick Fury was DESIGNED to look like Samuel L Jackson. Anyone else getting that role after how wildly successful the first two Ultimates series were would be ludicrous, especially since the original Fury, the white 616 one, had been absent from the comics for years at that point.

Anyway, IMO, Rodriguez has a valid point that was expressed in a sadly tongue-in-cheek way. There are established, popular black characters that already exist and are primed for adaptation into film and television. I still know more people who were confused about Green Lantern being cast as a white guy, and I was surprised at the move myself. John Stewart was the most obvious choice for the film. Cyborg is going to be a founding member of the cinematic Justice League. But also look at the rise of Luke Cage in the comic Avengers. He could very very easily have been incorporated into the MCU Avengers or Agents of SHIELD, but instead he is getting his OWN SHOW starring HIM. Falcon was added to the Captain America film franchise in the second installment, and I wouldn't be surprised if the MCU doesn't follow suit with him taking over the mantle at some point. War Machine is a lead character in the Iron Man films. Agents of SHIELD has a very racially diverse cast. Black Panther is getting HIS OWN FEATURE FILM. All of these things can be done, diversity can finally have its day, and you don't have to take existing characters and make them a different race. When it comes to the Big Two most of the work has already been done. The characters are there, and we are beginning to see them get used. IMO, going with Miles Morales as Spiderman just works and it is a missed opportunity if they don't use him.

[Darth Phoenix]

Michelle is absolutely right. Stop changing character's race. It's just offensive to the long time fans.

But it won't be offensive to more people till u make a nonwhite Marvel chracter white in a current movie then many will change to that point of view. At least this is a better argument than is Storm dark enough for the Singer's new Xmen.



Should some of Wakanda's gods be white since we have non Nordic Asguardians in the movie?

[Double 0]

But it won't be offensive to more people till u make a nonwhite Marvel chracter white in a current movie then many will change to that point of view. At least this is a better argument than is Storm dark enough for the Singer's new Xmen.



Should some of Wakanda's gods be white since we have non Nordic Asguardians in the movie?

There already is one: the white ape.

Also, check Brian's post.

[Crazy Diamond]

But it won't be offensive to more people till u make a nonwhite Marvel chracter white in a current movie then many will change to that point of view. At least this is a better argument than is Storm dark enough for the Singer's new Xmen.



Should some of Wakanda's gods be white since we have non Nordic Asguardians in the movie?

Or they could just make actual living breathing people white, like the cast of 21. Or for fiction, look at Exodus and The Last Airbender. The later had original characters, but I wonder if Rodriguez even knew about that series.

Wakanda is a fictional country and one built on the premise of how an African country would be like if they had the means to resist colonialism to the present day and develop independently. Their gods don't exist. However, Norse mythology is quite real and yet Thor is a blond haired, blue-eyed white man and a superhero alien while in the original mythology he's described as having a beard and liking to fight and drink. Clearly the creators of Thor weren't concerned about accuracy then.

[Smoov-E]

I really wish some of the folks saying "create some new characters of color, etc." would take 30 seconds and do some research.

For example:

http://foolscrusade.blogspot.com/201...ced-indie.html

Here's a list of about 35-40 high quality graphic novels featuring brand new/original "minority" characters.

Google can reveal hundreds more if one searches "indie Black comics" or "indie African American graphic novels."

In an age of information, ignorance is a choice.

B.

People who say. "They should make new characters" never have any intention to read about these new characters

To call people like yourself Kyle Baker, Joyce Chin, Jason Pearson, Joe Benitez, Brian Stelfreeze, Stan Sakai, Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington III, Humberto Ramos, Denys Cowan, Brian Thomas, Emma Rios, Jackie Ormes, Ale Garza, Lesean Thomas and many many others lazy is offensive as hell

[SickAlice]

Most people aren't concerned whether a companies products do well or not based on what race they shift the characters. They're concerned because it came to light that media and art teaches society just as much as anything else does and the current climate is a little too racists for most peoples tastes. Like black people being shot to death racist? And people think if the culture overall were to shift to more positive messages about different races, genders, lifestyle choices and sexual preferences that society would shift with it, hence they call out infractions were and when they see them whether intentional or no. It may not all be about the success of a franchise or relatability of a fictional character in reality is all I'm saying. There may be a greater game than comics and action movies played called life here.

[Redjack]

I really wish some of the folks saying "create some new characters of color, etc." would take 30 seconds and do some research.

For example:

http://foolscrusade.blogspot.com/201...ced-indie.html

Here's a list of about 35-40 high quality graphic novels featuring brand new/original "minority" characters.

Google can reveal hundreds more if one searches "indie Black comics" or "indie African American graphic novels."

In an age of information, ignorance is a choice.

B.

QFT.

Thank you for beating me to this. I'm so sick of that line.

We're making the books. Get off your asses.

[Confuzzled]

Yeah, it's naive to think that people strongly opposed to colorblind casting will actually come out and support new characters of color with their time and money, which as several posters have pointed out, already exist. It's just a case of "I'm not sharing toys that I feel entitled to no matter what!"

[leo619]

Yeah, it's naive to think that people strongly opposed to colorblind casting will actually come out and support new characters of color with their time and money, which as several posters have pointed out, already exist. It's just a case of "I'm not sharing toys that I feel entitled to no matter what!"

Ding ding ding, and there we have the winner and true culprit of the issue. Most of these folks claiming to create your own characters in no way shape or form support new or minority books unless they are legacy, otherwise Marvel and DC wouldn't need to create so many legacy characters just to get some actual representation within comics. The mighty avengers low sales illustrate this, which is a team of heroes that outside of she hulk, has no legacy characters what's so ever. All of these "MR is right" is nothing more than a cover up to keep these "sacred" characters white while having minority heroes fall at the waste side.

As an aspiring comic book artist creating my own IP, I know first hand if I tried to make a comic aiming at the comic book demographic, it will fail.

1) It's not the big 2, which most of these people don't read to begin with.

2) It's incredibly diverse, which per the current comic book market is almost a death sentence.

3) It lacks the nostalgia feeling that's almost essential for many comics to make it.

So I'm surprised that the author still put faith in this industry, it's pretty well established that if success was possible for minority books, it would have happened a long time ago.
Me personally, I'm taking my IP and tackling non comic book markets, primarily the young adult novel market. Putting it inside book clubs for free if need be, advertise towards women in women magazines, and many other unorthodox tactics. There's plenty of possibilities outside of the comic book market if we try and reach these audiences. But if we try to stick with the comic book demographic, we're screwed.

[Confuzzled]

So I'm surprised that the author still put faith in this industry, it's pretty well established that if success was possible for minority books, it would have happened a long time ago. Me personally, I'm taking my IP and tackling non comic book markets, primarily the young adult novel market. Putting it inside book clubs for free if need be, advertise towards women in women magazines, and many other unorthodox tactics. There's plenty of possibilities outside of the comic book market if we try and reach these audiences. But if we try to stick with the comic book demographic, we're screwed.

Yes, this is definitely the smart way of raising awareness and ensuring better success for an independent creator owned IP. Thank you for taking an initiative and all the best on your ventures. Do inform me about your IP once it is available to consumers.