On the topic of changing a comic book character’s race and the people who oppose it:
So, uh.
You firmly believe that a person of color portraying a traditionally Caucasian comic book character is “disrespectful.” Even if the actor is very talented and can embody the personality traits of said character (because psh, we judge only on looks, not merit, get with the times!). Even if all the original incarnations of this character remain unaffected, because we’re not going back and changing his skin color in the other many movies where he was Caucasian, or erasing his every appearance in every comic issue to re-draw him.

Even though the character’s race, in this case, does not in any way affect his origin story or how he behaves. Oh, no, wait, if they made him Black, yes it would! A Black person would act differently just because they’re, well, Black. Basically, they can’t help that. Surely a Black actor couldn’t portray a hero. Because you believe that a person with darker skin color is inherently unable to act as a fictional character, even if they do that… for a living. As an actor.

But you’re not racist! Because you said you’re not racist. And also maybe because you’re a person of color yourself so that’s, like, doubly not racist.

You weren’t nearly as upset when Bane wasn’t Hispanic in Nolanverse, or when Nick Fury was made Black, or when they announced Electro was to be portrayed by a Black actor. Those are different. Those characters aren’t as important or iconic. You can’t just up and change the race of a prominent hero! That’s crazy! That ruins all your childhood memories because somehow a movie is going to override everything you’ve ever known and also, oh my GOD, you can’t bear the thought of a person of color invading your sacred headspace and blaspheming all over comic book creators’ original work! Diversity in the media is just the ultimate slap in the face to these writers and artists! They must be sobbing uncontrollably into their pillows or rolling in their graves.

I mean, what would Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, think about the drastic change to his beloved Johnny Storm? He’d be devasta— wait what?
He didn’t give a flying frag about the new Ultimate Spider-Man being multiracial because he evaluated the change based on the quality of the story and how Miles Morales carried Spider-Man’s legacy as a person rather than the fact that he was Black and Latino? But the fans, who had far less a right to react negatively, were throwing racial slurs left and right because they opposed the change?
Oh.

But, back to comic book movies, we’ve got plenty of iconic minority characters already, we don’t have to try to include more minority actors into the mix just because they can act and are representative of the actual population. For example, for Black heroes: we’ve got Blade, uh… Nick Fury counts. Oh, no, wait, we changed him from the original, so he doesn’t count. We’ve got Blade… Storm! There’s two. And there’s… these guys? I’ve definitely seen some of those on kids’ backpacks. Definitely.

Speaking of kids, changing a notable character’s race opens a whole ‘nother can of worms, because… Face it, folks identify with characters that are like them, sometimes since childhood. Holy cow, imagine if Superman was the most well known comic book hero and the easiest to identify with? Imagine if we all wanted to fly or do good? Imagine anyone who isn’t Caucasian trying to identify with Clark Kent, who also appears White? Woah! Imagine a kid of a different skin color or eye shape or nose shape or body shape trying to identify with a character that is essentially an alien who is constantly struggling to fit in because he’s actually completely different from what human society perceives as standard? He doesn’t know what that’s like.
Like, like me, I’m Latina, right? I look nothing like Superman, I’m not even the right gender. Obviously that means that, when I was bullied in grade school, I couldn’t imagine myself as someone who fought against injustice while maintaining a kind and noble heart, regardless of physical appearance. And as an adult, I am in no way able to deal with a minor change to one version of my potential idol, because dealing with change and growing from it are absolutely not things that adults do on a daily basis.

It’s cool, though, you’re right. You just want to see everything as it is in the comics because you’re a purist. When everything about the portrayal is perfect except that the actor or art is of a different skin color, you’re not being bigoted for complaining, you’re just being a purist.

Seriously though, you’re not racist. C’mon. Guys. Haha. That’s ridiculous.

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