Re: Fantastic Four Reboot
All I'm really trying to get at is that the changing of a character's race isn't objectionable because of the race you change them to. It's objectionable because it's usually done for all the wrong reasons.
I just wanted to briefly touch on this, but I'll come back to your earlier points when I REALLY get a chance.
This is the thing behind changing character's ethnicity. It IS objectionable, because it's borderline (if not) offensive. There's already the token trope. Why not just USE someone already of that race? Example: John Stewart Green Lantern on the Justice League series instead of Kyle Rayner. These characters exist. To NOT use them invalidates them, to CHANGE someone because they "need a black guy" is shameful. What if they changed Kyle Rayner to be African American on the Justice League show? At the time, it'd have been yet another thing Kyle Rayner was the messiah in, and this time he'd be pushed on the fans as an African American character.
This also falls on...African American (and other ethnicity) fans of these characters. They were already fans! They were going to go to the movie anyway! Buy the toys! Throw money at the IP! They enjoyed these characters
as they were and as they always have been up to that point! SO what good honest purpose IS there to change them? That's where I've been going, the change overall has
no value.
Not that what you're saying is wrong, that a character's race is supplementary and asking for a "black Batman". Batman is an archetypical character; and DC has/had unlimited realities where one could exist! But to arbitrarily change
Bruce Wayne to be African American would be offensive, to the ENDLESS amount of
cross cultural fans he already has.
Do you remember the mess that DC made when they were making a long time hero homosexual? There was tons of hype, lots of press release, and when it finally came about it turns out the hero was Alan Scott. Now. Alan Scott in the new52 is NOT the Alan Scott everyone knew from his inception. In fact, DC abandoned his and their entire history with the new52; He was never married, never had Obsidian (who was actually homosexual) and Jade as his children, put him on new52's Earth 2, and originally it was on the fence if they were even going to bother using the Justice Society at all!
Take a moment to say out loud "new52 Earth 2 Alan Scott". They've essentially thrown away the entire goal of this publicity stunt in 5 words; the title alone explains he's
NOT the same guy!
And there
were characters that DC claims it hasnt gotten rid of their history. Batman (good candidate). Superman. WonderWoman. Green Lantern (good candidate with Kyle Rayner). So the New 52 Alan Scott was
NOT the hero everyone knew as DC touted, and it was an opportunity for the to really shine. Since this, DC has shown they really dont have a decent handle on LGBT heroes/villains and couldnt be any more offensive in their use (employing Orson Scot Card, Batwoman/Montoya).
Not to forget to mention; in the process INVALIDATING a character that ALREADY WAS a member of the LGBT community (his son Obsidian), and IMMEDIATELY killing off new52 Earth 2 Scott's partner in a trainwreck(sad irony)!
If DC was handled by a more intelligent and credible administration; this could have been a change with value and dignity. Which is something fans are not getting with Michael B Jordan as Human Torch and
HE IS a talented actor! That's not even fair to him!
Make him a different character and drown it in controversy. That's just wrong.
(I am also fully aware Alan Scott came from the original Earth 2, and that may have been the ONLY right thing DC did with him; even though it's a shallow imitation of Earth 2)
IMO I like when things stay closer to source material.
Exactly. I never understood the need to deviate from something which has all the work already done. There's still room for director's artistic style, choosing the actors (if they fit the part), and choosing which part of that character's history to go with for the movie. Great example of this done right is Watchmen and Sin City; Great example of this done poorly is Green Lantern and the list is too long for a second.
There
are anomalies; like Burton's Batman's and Donner's Superman's, and The Incredible Hulk TV show (which was a necessity, to make each episode like another issue in a comic. "David" was a weird change for Banner's first name for even weirder reasons, but therein lies the "his name isnt REQUIRED to be Bruce." as a perfect example of a change that overall changes nothing)
All I'm really trying to get at is that the changing of a character's race isn't objectionable because of the race you change them to. It's objectionable because it's almost always done for all the wrong reasons; and that ultimate reason being the invalidation of the cultural fans of these characters as they are. The corporate ignorance that "just white people like Superman" and "just black people like Powerman".
