X-Men ’97 Showrunner Criticizes Marvel for Race-Swapping ‘White Villains’

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As a dedicated comic book enthusiast with years of invested time and passion in the X-Men ’97 series, I find myself deeply troubled by Beau DeMayo’s recent stand against race-swapping villains in Marvel Studios productions. While I appreciate his dedication to maintaining authenticity, I believe it’s crucial for adaptations to evolve with our diverse world.

In the comics, most of these characters are indeed white, but the beauty of adaptation lies in its ability to reflect and represent contemporary society. Norman Osborn, for instance, has been portrayed by actors of different ethnicities in various adaptations, including the live-action films. I’d argue that a Black Norman Osborn could add a fascinating layer of complexity to the character, just as Chiwetel Ejiofor did with Mordo in the MCU.

However, I understand DeMayo’s concern about the potential for stereotyping or misrepresentation. To address this, Marvel Studios should ensure thoughtful and respectful portrayals that don’t reinforce harmful tropes. After all, we want to inspire young minds with compelling narratives that promote empathy and understanding, not reinforce negative stereotypes.

On a lighter note, I can’t help but wonder what DeMayo would think if he knew that one day, the X-Men themselves might be race-swapped! Imagine Cyclops as a penguin or Beast as a cat – now wouldn’t that be a twist worth exploring?

The person behind the creation, management, and scriptwriting of X-Men ’97, Beau DeMayo, was let go by Marvel Studios prior to the show’s debut. In a recent online message (previously known as Twitter), he requested his old company to refrain from altering the racial identities of villains who have traditionally been depicted as white in comics and other forms of media.

Beau DeMayo on why Marvel should not race-swap ‘white villains’

Beau DeMayo expressed concerns about Marvel’s practice of transforming white antagonists into black characters, which he found humorous, possibly due to the casting of Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn, a major Spider-Man villain, in the upcoming animated series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

In simpler terms, DeMayo said, “Allow me to restate this for you. Marvel Studios, could we kindly request that you stop transforming white villains into Black characters as a joke? For instance, Kang, High Evolutionary, Norman Osborn, Electro, and Mordo.

Significantly, in superhero films, Norman Osborn has been brought to life by Willem Dafoe in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man series and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and by Chris Cooper in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Among the other characters mentioned by DeMayo, Mordo is portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jonathan Majors played Kang and his variations. Chukwudi Iwuji took on the role of the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Jamie Foxx assumed the character of Max Dillon / Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: No Way Home. All these characters were originally white in the comic books, including Kang the Conqueror, a descendant of Nathaniel Richards from the 31st century.

In a separate discussion, DeMayo articulated his concerns about such transformations particularly well. He stated, “Much of what we take in, especially children, significantly shapes our perception of the world.” Furthermore, he pointed out that when the usual heroes remain white while villains are reimagined as Black characters for ‘diversity’, it often results in a visual narrative that portrays white protagonists defeating Black antagonists.

Originally reported by Tamal Kundu on SuperHeroHype.

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2025-01-03 15:43