Suicide Squad (2016?)

[JBH3]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

I think its OK to have issue with the race thing and not be considered a bigot.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

Well, I think that is right considering people cry out in horror for even the smallest costume changes. I have never understood the need for stories and characters to be 100% "authentically" replicated on-screen.

[KSOR24]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

I wonder if the people who are fine with the race changes wouldn't care if they made Batman Japanese or Superman Native American.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

So long as the foundation is intact I really wouldn't care. Superman, to me, would depend on the time setting.

[KSOR24]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

So long as the foundation is intact I really wouldn't care. Superman, to me, would depend on the time setting.

I agree that it shouldn't matter but it's always going to for many people. Plus, they're so used to seeing these characters depicted in a certain way in the comics, that it's the only way they can imagine them. Hell, some people get mad when the character's hair color isn't right, like when Grant Gustin was cast as the Flash.

[JBH3]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

Well, I think that is right considering people cry out in horror for even the smallest costume changes. I have never understood the need for stories and characters to be 100% "authentically" replicated on-screen.

I wonder if the people who are fine with the race changes wouldn't care if they made Batman Japanese or Superman Native American.

I agree that it shouldn't matter but it's always going to for many people. Plus, they're so used to seeing these characters depicted in a certain way in the comics, that it's the only way they can imagine them. Hell, some people get mad when the character's hair color isn't right, like when Grant Gustin was cast as the Flash.

So if you hold issue with the race thing you're either a bigot or a malcontent?? Is that what you two are saying??

[KSOR24]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

So if you hold issue with the race thing you're either a bigot or a malcontent?? Is that what you two are saying??

My stance is that having a problem with the race change is understandable if you really care about the character being accurately depicted, but other than that it shouldn't make a difference to the viewer. And in my first post you quoted I was playing devil's advocate and seeing if the people who had no problem with a a white character being black would care if a character as popular as Batman or Superman had a race change.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

So if you hold issue with the race thing you're either a bigot or a malcontent?? Is that what you two are saying??

If you can't come up with anything other than "well he's white in the comics" then yes. I think some people are obviously bigoted, but a bigger portion (I hope) are simply malcontents that bitch and moan over the smallest "inaccuracy" when translating a property to another medium. You see it for costume changes, altered back-stories, or any detail that is not an exact replication of the printed comic book material.

If we can have an English man portray Gandhi and win an Oscar for it then I think we'll be okay with accepting a non-white Batman or minor villain.

[Beantown]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

I mean ****, Idris Elba was one of the most wanted actors to play an older-Batman, so I think people were okay with that.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

I mean ****, Idris Elba was one of the most wanted actors to play an older-Batman, so I think people were okay with that.

The thought of him playing James Bond - not nearly as much unfortunately.

[Leon]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

My take on this is simple: the really well-known characters (i.e. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man etc etc) should be as they are in the comics. If you're going to change something as major as the way they look, then at least call him/her a different name -- and by that I mean their secret identity. Black/hispanic Spider-man? Miles Morales. Black Batman? That guy called Batwing from Africa is your dude. Black Superman? There's a black Superman who isn't Clark Kent/Kal-El in the New 52 in the year 3000 or something like that. Green Lantern? You got John Stewart. Iron Man? We got War Machine Dusty Rhodes right here.

A reskin doesn't serve any real purpose.

[JBH3]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

If you can't come up with anything other than "well he's white in the comics" then yes. I think some people are obviously bigoted, but a bigger portion (I hope) are simply malcontents that bitch and moan over the smallest "inaccuracy" when translating a property to another medium. You see it for costume changes, altered back-stories, or any detail that is not an exact replication of the printed comic book material.

If we can have an English man portray Gandhi and win an Oscar for it then I think we'll be okay with accepting a non-white Batman or minor villain.

I disagree, one should be allowed to appreciate the character in the way they like to and not be considered any differently for it.


There are already black characters like Leon shows above. The goal should be to sell a Batwing movie rather than pander Bruce Wayne as a different race, my personal opinion anyways.


Trying to retro-correct past ills (such as a white-washed comic universe) is akin to turning a blind-eye to the steroid era in baseball.


Accept things the way they were to the source material and develop new characters like Kamala Khan, Simon Baz, Calvin Ellis/Kalel, Batwing, Jon Stewart, etc.


I think this is a very good topic though. I even found a good article on it here. I think the article supports more of what you're talking about, which is fine, but one part I draw out from it is where Dan Didio talks about why Young Justice was canceled; because more girls were watching than boys and it affected their bottom line i.e. merchandising endeavors because girls weren't buying the action figures etc.


One could say that Will Smith is in the movie simply to draw in a certain demographic. Maybe he plays a great Floyd Lawton too, and frankly I want him to... but the pandering is where I hold issue i.e. "potentially" changing a character for the sake of appealing to a certain audience... hopefully...

[BlueNGold]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

The way I see it, comic books already do so much experimenting and crazy **** (a lot of time just for the sake of doing it) that changing a character's race isn't really THAT big of a deal to me. I enjoy people trying to come up with fresh takes on characters that have been around for 50+ years.

The way comic books handle the deaths of major characters bothers me more than changing up the color of their skin and their backgrounds.

[JBH3]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

I didn't go searching for this post but nevertheless found it interesting in the overall discussion on race changes for established characters.


From Comic Book Resources (CBR):

topic: Where do we go from here with the new BLACK Wally West of the new 52 ?

I gave up on the Flash of the new 52. Especially after they made Wally West, the man that surpassed his mentor and became his own hero and had his own family, BLACK FOR THE SAKE OF DIVERSITY.

As an African American myself, I find this a bit insulting in a way. I mean DC could've made a brand new character instead of taking an established character and changing his race and skin tone for profit.

However, I'm not going to go further into a fit over a fictional character. D has made their bed and are going to try to sleep in it over this situation.

I am here to ask you all where do we go from here with the new BLACK Wally West ?

I mean does anyone expect him to join the Teen Titans, since they're down a speedster ?

Or make occasional Appearances in other DC New 52 titles Post Convergence ?

Honestly, where do we go from here with the new BLACK Wally West ?

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Suicide Squad (2016?)

I think we are on two different subjects here; movie casting and changing an established character in a comic. I don't think they're one in the same.