Why are DC's minority character's lagging behind Marvel's?

[Will Evans]

I...don't think this is actually addressing my point?

Isn't it kind of strange that they're all young girls? The only top scientist who actually appeared in the Wasp book about female scientists was Mockingbird and Scientist Supreme.

They already had a few evil female geniuses but no superheroine female geniuses.

Makes sense that they’re all teens or young adults. If they were seasoned adult geniuses, they’ve already been known as peers of Reed, Tony, etc. So why aren’t they already heroes back when those guys first started 15 years ago sliding timeline.

Granted Marvel has tried to make female peers out of the blue before. But they always ended up as supporting characters of the existing superheroes. Moira MacTaggart for Professor X (just recently alive again); Maya Hansen (dead) for Tony Stark; Alyssa Moy (dead) for Reed Richards.

Back on topic for DC. In my opinion, go for a Static Shock movie. Black Lightning is already doing the TV show. Everyone else are mostly spin-off of other characters.

Why they haven’t tried to make one already with all these other movie scripts being turned in, I’ll never understand.

[Robotman]

They already had a few evil female geniuses but no superheroine female geniuses.

Makes sense that they’re all teens or young adults. If they were seasoned adult geniuses, they’ve already been known as peers of Reed, Tony, etc. So why aren’t they already heroes back when those guys first started 15 years ago sliding timeline.

Granted Marvel has tried to make female peers out of the blue before. But they always ended up as supporting characters of the existing superheroes. Moira MacTaggart for Professor X (just recently alive again); Maya Hansen (dead) for Tony Stark; Alyssa Moy (dead) for Reed Richards.

Back on topic for DC. In my opinion, go for a Static Shock movie. Black Lightning is already doing the TV show. Everyone else are mostly spin-off of other characters.

Why they haven’t tried to make one already with all these other movie scripts being turned in, I’ll never understand.

Yeah, I think Static is really the only POC DC character that could have a solo movie which could reach the level of excitement of Black Panther and Miles (Spider-Man: Far from Home). John Stewart is probably more well known, but he will most likely be sharing the screen with Hal and the other members of the Corps.

Blue Beetle would be another character that could have huge cultural significance. Having a Latino superhero in his own movie or even tv show would be amazing. I've posted this in other threads but Latino representation in Hollywood is abysmal.

A USC study from 2019 about Latino representation in Hollywood found some very troubling results:

The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California released a study that found that of the 100 top-grossing films each year from 2007 to 2018, only three percent featured Latino actors in lead or co-lead roles. Producers and casting executives fared badly, too, with Latinos making up only three percent. And they were equally rare in the director’s chair, helming four percent of movies studied during the 12-year period. In all, only 4.5 percent of the 47,268 speaking roles studied by researchers went to Latino actors.

The results, the study said, do not reflect the number of Hispanic people living and working in the United States. According the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic people tallied 59.9 million in 2017, or 18.1 percent of the nation’s population. The bureau estimates, too, that by 2045, one in four Americans will be Hispanic.

So I really hope DC starts pushing Jaime in comics and in mainstream media.

[lemonpeace]

it's telling of DC that their greatest hope of non-white representation is Static, a character that's not even a DC character. the fact that we still HAVE to inflate DC's stats when it comes to diversity with Milestone characters is depressing.

[Frontier]

Most kids growing up probably think of Static as a DC character because he teamed-up with multiple DC heroes in his original cartoon and was retroactively made part of the DCAU.

Not to mention he was in Young Justice.

They already had a few evil female geniuses but no superheroine female geniuses.

Makes sense that they’re all teens or young adults. If they were seasoned adult geniuses, they’ve already been known as peers of Reed, Tony, etc. So why aren’t they already heroes back when those guys first started 15 years ago sliding timeline.

Granted Marvel has tried to make female peers out of the blue before. But they always ended up as supporting characters of the existing superheroes. Moira MacTaggart for Professor X (just recently alive again); Maya Hansen (dead) for Tony Stark; Alyssa Moy (dead) for Reed Richards.

So it's attempt to course-correct even if it makes it seem like the only smart girls in the Marvel Universe are all under the age of 21.

[skyvolt2000]

I...don't think this is actually addressing my point?

Isn't it kind of strange that they're all young girls? The only top scientist who actually appeared in the Wasp book about female scientists was Mockingbird and Scientist Supreme.

There is a push to get young girls (especially of color) into STEM (Science and engineering) programs.

That is part of the reason you see more science interested girls in more shows and projects.


Now from a BUSINESS stand point-how do you assure you get your books sales (even if it's from libraries and schools and PARENTS)-tackle a subject that folks want to make interesting to a group.

Do you know how much mileage I could get out of Riri, Moon Girl, Wasp & Shuri at a school? TONS.

How much science knowledge and name dropping I could do in those books and kids would NEVER notice.


Same could be done with Natasha Irons.

If DC was to go an educational/super hero route they could.

Black Lightning could be used to give a lesson about how the school system works so we can stop having fake woke folks make up crap to bash schools.
Red Lion could tell you about Africa that is real unlike Wakanda.
Jessica Cruz about PTS

Since mainstream Dc doesn't want to use them.

[Will Evans]

Just to follow Skyvolt2000’s point, I would add Bumblebee to that as well.


Also agree with the above post, that DC would gain a lot with a Jaime Blue Beetle film.

[skyvolt2000]

Why they haven’t tried to make one already with all these other movie scripts being turned in, I’ll never understand.

Most times someone has to asked to do one. And most who do rarely get to pitch those stories or they become something else.

Remember the 1989 Cyborg movie? You do know that was originally Masters of the Universe 2.

I forgot about Bumblebee.

[Sutekh]

Because of the current Black Lightning show, I feel like Static is kind of more of the same, whereas someone like Mr. Terrific or Vixen would be a more distinctive choice. (Mr. Terrific 'replaces' a white original character, like John Stewart, but hardly is competing with him for page time or anything, since nobody was using Terry Sloane for anything anyway, unlike Hal Jordan. Vixen doesn't even have that problem, and is totally standalone.)

Natasha Irons (either as Steel or Vaporlock) could be another fun one, not derivative of anyone or significantly like characters already on the screen.

Bumblebee, unfortunately, hits a lot of the same beats as Wasp, over at Marvel, and there's arguments to be made that DC should focus on more distinctive characters and counter-arguments that DC can show Marvel how it's done, and make Bumblebee less of a cliche (no-nonsense hyper-competent asskicker who's arbitrarily better than the goofy dude at his own schtick) than the Wasp has been.

I would definitely like to see more distinctive characters with their own niche, and not 'the black Superman' and 'the black Green Lantern' and 'the black Wonder Woman' being touted as DC's answer for diversity.

[Will Evans]

Of course there’s the elephant in the room now that televisions new replacing Batwoman is a black lesbian.

Unlike Mr Terrific and Vixen, Static’s had a cartoon, a lasting solo comic, a rogues gallery etc.


Not saying they’re requirements but they help. Blade was made into a movie despite being just a team member in Tomb of Dracula and Nightstalkers.

[Ra-El]

Because of the current Black Lightning show, I feel like Static is kind of more of the same, whereas someone like Mr. Terrific or Vixen would be a more distinctive choice. (Mr. Terrific 'replaces' a white original character, like John Stewart, but hardly is competing with him for page time or anything, since nobody was using Terry Sloane for anything anyway, unlike Hal Jordan. Vixen doesn't even have that problem, and is totally standalone.)

Natasha Irons (either as Steel or Vaporlock) could be another fun one, not derivative of anyone or significantly like characters already on the screen.

Bumblebee, unfortunately, hits a lot of the same beats as Wasp, over at Marvel, and there's arguments to be made that DC should focus on more distinctive characters and counter-arguments that DC can show Marvel how it's done, and make Bumblebee less of a cliche (no-nonsense hyper-competent asskicker who's arbitrarily better than the goofy dude at his own schtick) than the Wasp has been.

I would definitely like to see more distinctive characters with their own niche, and not 'the black Superman' and 'the black Green Lantern' and 'the black Wonder Woman' being touted as DC's answer for diversity.

Yes.

I would also add Bronze Tiger, DC could do a black John Wick with him.

Hawkman could work too, just cast POC as Carter Hall, and show that on his past lives he was from different ethnicities, roman gladiator, egyptian prince, african warrior, japanase samurai, etc.

And definitely, do a Jayme Reyes Blue Beetle.

[skyvolt2000]

Because of the current Black Lightning show, I feel like Static is kind of more of the same, whereas someone like Mr. Terrific or Vixen would be a more distinctive choice. (Mr. Terrific 'replaces' a white original character, like John Stewart, but hardly is competing with him for page time or anything, since nobody was using Terry Sloane for anything anyway, unlike Hal Jordan. Vixen doesn't even have that problem, and is totally standalone.)

I would definitely like to see more distinctive characters with their own niche, and not 'the black Superman' and 'the black Green Lantern' and 'the black Wonder Woman' being touted as DC's answer for diversity.

What you just said has been used as WEAPONS to justify exclusion.

Anthony Montgomery of Star Trek Enterprise fame has a book called Miles Away. A book about a black boy who learns he has alien powers because he is part alien. He got a shot to pitch that book for a tv show on Cartoon Network.

He was told to his face his book was a Ben 10 RIPOFF. Miles was part alien. He did NOT turn into an alien via a watch. He didn't change form. He had a granny and little sister.

Everybody wants to scream this is the black version of (blank). Or why have (blank) when you already got (blank).

Static is NOTHING like Black Lightning. This is the issue with his Milestone run NOT being in trade or on DC apps.

The Static you saw on Static Shock, Young Justice and New 52 is ULTRA watered down. Like most black heroes to make a certain segment feel better about themselves. Remember McDuffie had to FIGHT the network about Static. The WB wanted him WHITE. Frieda not Richie was the side kick.

Am I going to take all versions of Static and make a complete version.

Static build his OWN HQ and TRAINED himself. (Milestone comic version)
He built his own board to fly on. He even powered a bike to fly in the air without wheels.
He was powerful enough to Weapon to take down a DC version of Galactus
He opened a can of Austin 3:16 on a street gang and NEARLY killed them.
He was powerful enough to take out 6 villains at once and still flew home (naked).
Powers enhanced by the Sun (Static Shock version)
Almost killed Deathstroke's daughter and was the champion of an underground fight club (DC version)
So powerful they had to keep him drugged because he could take out everybody.
Had arm cut off and reattached itself (New 52)
Has a healing factor (New 52)

Black Lighting can't do most of that.

If Static is going to be dismissed as BL 2.0. Shazam needs to be dismissed as Superman 2.0. Anyone who can run fast needs to be dismissed because we have JAY not Barry first.

It does not matter if one has the same powers as another. What matters is the EXECUTION.

[Ra-El]

What you just said has been used as WEAPONS to justify exclusion.

Anthony Montgomery of Star Trek Enterprise fame has a book called Miles Away. A book about a black boy who learns he has alien powers because he is part alien. He got a shot to pitch that book for a tv show on Cartoon Network.

He was told to his face his book was a Ben 10 RIPOFF. Miles was part alien. He did NOT turn into an alien via a watch. He didn't change form. He had a granny and little sister.

Everybody wants to scream this is the black version of (blank). Or why have (blank) when you already got (blank).

Static is NOTHING like Black Lightning. This is the issue with his Milestone run NOT being in trade or on DC apps.

The Static you saw on Static Shock, Young Justice and New 52 is ULTRA watered down. Like most black heroes to make a certain segment feel better about themselves. Remember McDuffie had to FIGHT the network about Static. The WB wanted him WHITE. Frieda not Richie was the side kick.

Am I going to take all versions of Static and make a complete version.

Static build his OWN HQ and TRAINED himself. (Milestone comic version)
He built his own board to fly on. He even powered a bike to fly in the air without wheels.
He was powerful enough to Weapon to take down a DC version of Galactus
He opened a can of Austin 3:16 on a street gang and NEARLY killed them.
He was powerful enough to take out 6 villains at once and still flew home (naked).
Powers enhanced by the Sun (Static Shock version)
Almost killed Deathstroke's daughter and was the champion of an underground fight club (DC version)
So powerful they had to keep him drugged because he could take out everybody.
Had arm cut off and reattached itself (New 52)
Has a healing factor (New 52)

Black Lighting can't do most of that.

If Static is going to be dismissed as BL 2.0. Shazam needs to be dismissed as Superman 2.0. Anyone who can run fast needs to be dismissed because we have JAY not Barry first.

It does not matter if one has the same powers as another. What matters is the EXECUTION.

I believe the only reason is Black Lightning and not Static with a Arrowverse TV show is the problems with the Milestone rights. Once that is resolved WB will most likely do something with the character, a movie would be the smartest choice.

[Mr HardKnocks]

I believe the only reason is Black Lightning and not Static with a Arrowverse TV show is the problems with the Milestone rights. Once that is resolved WB will most likely do something with the character, a movie would be the smartest choice.

And the Black Lightning show itself wouldn’t have been a thing without the success of the Luke Cage tv show. The first season of Luke Cage on Netflix got high ratings and DC decided to respond back with their own black superhero lead. They’ve yet to respond back with films, in regards to Black Panther, since Cyborg is up in the air along with the Ray Fisher/Joss Whedon situation while Green Lantern Corps remains in development uncertainty and the rest of their catalog of black superheroes like Vixen, Steel and Mr Terrific don’t have the presence to warrant a big budgeted live action film.

[Robotman]

I think a Mr. Terrific tv show would be amazing. A super science adventurer kind of like a modern day Doc Savage.

[lemonpeace]

And the Black Lightning show itself wouldn’t have been a thing without the success of the Luke Cage tv show. The first season of Luke Cage on Netflix got high ratings and DC decided to respond back with their own black superhero lead. They’ve yet to respond back with films, in regards to Black Panther, since Cyborg is up in the air along with the Ray Fisher/Joss Whedon situation while Green Lantern Corps remains in development uncertainty and the rest of their catalog of black superheroes like Vixen, Steel and Mr Terrific don’t have the presence to warrant a big budgeted live action film.

This argument needs to be thrown away, the MCU was built on the backs of Marvel's scrap characters. DC is not interesting in developing their characters of color in any significant way anytime soon, they're constantly being criticized that their heroes of color are treated better in wider media than on the page even today. we will never get characters of color leading on the DC big screen if we're waiting for the one that "has the presence" in the DC comics landscape. I mean Mr. Terrific is having his most successful and acclaimed run ever (which is obviously wrapping up soon because No Nice Things), why not a Mr. Terrific movie that leads into a Terrifics movie? Why not take these characters and make them into what DC won't do on the page? who knows, if Guardians of the Galaxy can change the course of those characters on the page, maybe that strategy will lead to DC getting their **** together with their heroes of color.