Would you mind black actors portraying superheroes who are normally white?

[elricik]

Yeah, the ethnicity of a hero is a big part of their character. I didn't like Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury even though "Pulp Fiction" is probably one of my favorite movies of all time. Vice versa, I don't like a white guy playing the Green Lantern.

But the Green Lantern is white...

Or at least the originals Alan Scott and Hal Jordan are. John Stewart who is black became a green lantern much later.

Clark Kent could work, with a time change. Send him back to the Civil War, raised from childhood by a family of slaves. I think it'd be an interesting change, anyways.

But then that really isn't Superman then it's a completely different character. It's a good idea but it's better off marketing as a completely Superhero. Call him Freedom or something.

Would you mind if captain america was middle eastern?

Isn't the only requirement for Captain America the fact that he's American? What does it matter what they change his ethnicity to, he's still the same character. Even during World War II there were people of other races born in America, so as far as I can tell they could cast any muscular person to play the role as long as they were tall and acting extremely noble with a round shield.

Yes Captain America can be anyone, but the original Captain America is forever Steve Rogers, a skinny Irish-American youth who tried to enlist 17times in WW2 and was considered 4F (or unusuable). He was then picked up by a super soldier project using stolen Nazi formulas that turned him into a "Superman". As well as fighting Nazis he was a significant propaganda tool.

This character wouldn't work as any other ethnicity, theres the irony of blonde blue eyed superman fighting nazis, there's the fact a black man wouldn't have been used for propaganda during that time. There's the fact that immigration of multiple ethnicities was significantly lower back in the 20's and 30's.

I'm not saying that Farouk Hussein couldn't take up the mantle in a future comic, but for a film adaption it's too inaccurate.

The Green Lantern I've come to know and love has been black.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury, as has been said.

I don't have an issue with it, as long as the spirit of the character still comes across. I've aways thuoght of Batman being white as being part of his character, because to me his Bruce Wayne identity is the epitome of 'spoiled white boy'. If Batman was black I wouldn't mind, but if Bruce Wayne was black he'd have to be a really convincing actor to get me on board with the idea.

I quite like the idea of seeing a black Captain America though. Can you imagine how angry the fanboys would get? Or a black Superman.

 

[Arsen]

While were on this topic...WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO SPAWN REMAKES? He was the only superhero I gave two shites about.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Well, did anyone mind Sam Jackson as Nick Fury?

Damn ninjas.

I have no problem with the idea as long as it's not the focus of the movie's marketing/hype.

 

[wasalp]

On the most part. Yes. I hate it.

I wouldn't want some white guy to play Blade. And I wouldn't want a black guy playing the Crow or something.

The two noteable exceptions are Nick fury and the Kingpin. Their characters actually got more itneresting with Black actors.

But on the most part. Stay true to character.

don't forget red from shawshank redemtion

 

[UltraParanoia]

I'm seeing a lot of "I'm totally not racist" disclaimers in this thread. Am I the only person who finds that really fucking annoying?

OT: Depends on the superhero. Captain 'Murica and Superman = Whites only. Superman mostly because if them (What was it, 30s or 40s era originally?) white folk found a little black space baby, they would have dumped it into the nearest orphanage or just given it to the police to deal with. And then Superman would have missed out on his wonderful upbringing and more than likely wound up a villain. Capt. America has pretty much already been explained so I'll skip it.

Batman is another no go. Mostly just because it would be hard for Lil Brucie Wayne to fight crime what with his busy rap career and running his "exploiting mah negros fo dey dough" businesses. [sub]I'm aware this stinks of racism and whatnot, but that's all I could think of when I thought of rich black guys in America, so bite me[/sub]

That aside I don't rightly care about the color of the actor used as long as it's just because they were the best actor the could get, and not for some idiotic race based bullshit.

Of course, I'm someone who gets pissed when movies will take a character who's like 6'2" 250lbs and cast a guy who is 4 inches shorter and 70 pounds lighter. Of course, the only characters done recently who were perfectly casted were Wolverine and Tony Stark.

 

[deadxero]

Who ever fit's the character the best should be used regardless of sex, race, or any other factor.

 

[annoyinglizardvoice]

(snip)

I guess it comes down to the question "Would I want to go see a movie with a black Wonderwoman, or an asian Batman?"

F*ck yeah I would!!

This post gave me a mental image of Gina Torres (Zoe from Firefly) as Wonder Woman, which would be epic.

Personally I feel it varies from character to character. For example: Thor is based of norse mythology, so I feel an actor playing him would have to have a nordic look/feel in order to pull off the part properly. The Incredible Hulk on the other hand could be any colour in the world when he's in his human form because there's no way someone's colour alone could affect the "scientist caught on the wrong end of an experiment and now trying to control has anger to prevent himself turning into a monster" gimic.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Snip

Well, as long as it isn't used in attempt to look politically correct and the guy weather he be black, white, Asian, or hispanic just is the best actor for the roll, I wouldn't mind.

Of course sometimes you get unintended rascism in this approuch, like in the case of War Machine being the "gangster" versain of Iron Man in Iron Man 2.

 

[Casual Shinji]

If the character is iconic then, yeah, I would fucking hate it. If someone changes the looks of an iconic character that I grew up with, then I'm gonna be severely pissed.

This isn't just concerning skin colour, it could be something as simple as...

Spoiler: ...adding a moustache.

[HEADING=2]BEFORE[/HEADING]

[HEADING=2]AFTER[/HEADING]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Shock and Awe]

Well the most important factor is if they can pull off the general mood and feeling of a character. Though how much they look like the character becomes more important as you get to more famous characters.

 

[Zaik]

It kind of ruins the whole idea behind a superhero movie.

If you can't recognize who it is just by looking, then it's just a story about some guy with the same name.

Nobody would consider making Blade a pasty white guy. Nobody would consider making the Black Panther asian.

Why is this even a question?

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Do they sell the role? Do they act it well and entertain you in the way you think the character should? Do you still not end up liking the character because their skin pigment is not the way you think it should be?

If you answered yes to all three then there are more serious issues involved here.

 

[Pyode]

Of course sometimes you get unintended rascism in this approuch, like in the case of War Machine being the "gangster" versain of Iron Man in Iron Man 2.

What are you talking about? I never got that impression at all. Besides, James Rhodes (War Machine) has always been black.

 

[SimuLord]

Samuel L. Jackson: "I'm motherfucking Batman."

It would be epic.

 

[MoeTheMonk]

Yes I would mind very much. Veerry much so. A black Superman, Batman? That'd be very weird, and would probably ruin anything they appeared in for me.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Yes I would mind and no, it has nothing to do with racism. It's all about consistency.

 

[Anchupom]

As long as they can make me feel the same love of that character that I had when reading the comics, I don't care. Morgan Freeman to play Mr Fantastic, (or Dr Strange) FTW in my opinion.

Seriously. It would be epic.

 

[Harmondale2]

I don't really like it to be honest, taking an established series and remaking it for the big screen, having to change the characters colours just seems to be them making the statement that it is important what colour you are, important enough that we have to change it. Just crowbaring them in for politcal correctness reasons seems to counter the whole we're all the same point of view.

And then sometimes it just kinda breaks logic too, like with this whole non-white hobbit casting thing. Hobbits are white? Thats how it is?? They live in a very temperate climate and so they didn't develop dark skin?? You can't say its discriminating, thats whats called for in the casting, I mean if you were say 7 feet tall they wouldn't let you play a hobbit. Its not your fault your tall, but its just not what the part calls for?

 

[Enigmers]

I want to see a movie where Morgan Freeman is every role. The main character, the narrator, the love interest, the comic relief, the antagonist, the evil minion, you get the idea.

I want to see another movie with the same premise as above, but everyone is replaced by AHNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER.