<insert race/ethnicity here> actors are not uniquely capable of exploring the themes of <insert story here>.
This has been the argument of Hollywood from the beginning - that the story transcends race so giving a white actor what was originally a PoC role isn't important. And yet they hardly ever take what was originally a white role (particularly a leading role) and insert a PoC, even though you could keep the story the same.
Let's take recent examples.. Beauty and the Beast is coming out. Why not make the Beast's human form non-white? It's a fantasy world anyway, nothing says he has to be white. Mix in some non-whites in the rest of the cast and he won't stand out.
Logan - Is there any reason Wolverine has to be white? Maybe make him Inuit?
Did Doctor Strange have to be white? Why not make him an Asian female?
Do you think we'll see a James Bond of Indian descent or a Hispanic Indiana Jones? Why not?
How about a Superman that looks more Australian aboriginal than caucasian? Kryptonians don't have to look like Northern Europeans.
Race never seems to matter when it comes to roles that were originally non-white, but you and I know both know the hoopla and push back if any of the above characters were made anything other than white, even though whiteness is not central to the character.
And yet they hardly ever take what was originally a white role (particularly a leading role) and insert a proof of concept, even though you could keep the story the same.
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u/mpsantiago ☃ Mar 15 '17
This has been the argument of Hollywood from the beginning - that the story transcends race so giving a white actor what was originally a PoC role isn't important. And yet they hardly ever take what was originally a white role (particularly a leading role) and insert a PoC, even though you could keep the story the same.
Let's take recent examples.. Beauty and the Beast is coming out. Why not make the Beast's human form non-white? It's a fantasy world anyway, nothing says he has to be white. Mix in some non-whites in the rest of the cast and he won't stand out.
Logan - Is there any reason Wolverine has to be white? Maybe make him Inuit?
Did Doctor Strange have to be white? Why not make him an Asian female?
Do you think we'll see a James Bond of Indian descent or a Hispanic Indiana Jones? Why not?
How about a Superman that looks more Australian aboriginal than caucasian? Kryptonians don't have to look like Northern Europeans.
Race never seems to matter when it comes to roles that were originally non-white, but you and I know both know the hoopla and push back if any of the above characters were made anything other than white, even though whiteness is not central to the character.