Batgirl 'Batgirl' movie? - Part 1

[Detective Conan]

To those who say they want Barbara Gordon to “look the way she does in the comics”(which is pretty much a codified way for saying you only think a white person should play the role) you can still see white Barbara Gordon this year played by actress Samatha Welch on the third season of that Titans show.

Though she won’t be dressing up on Batgirl on the show. I’m just amused by the unironic insinuations that redheads characters are being erased, and ‘blackwashed’.

 

[DoomRulz]

Why is there such a hostile reaction to those of us who think the character should be portrayed as he/she is depicted in the books? Race- and gender-swapping characters for the sake of "diversity and equity" (which is meaningless anyway) is insulting and demeaning to minority groups. I say that as a member of a minority group.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Why is there such a hostile reaction to those of us who think the character should be portrayed as he/she is depicted in the books? Race- and gender-swapping characters for the sake of "diversity and equity" (which is meaningless anyway) is insulting and demeaning to minority groups. I say that as a member of a minority group.

I like my characters to look like they do in comics or how I fell in love with them and that's fine but one should also be open to other ethnicities playing the roles as long as they are able to embody the character. I'm ok if they racebend a character as long as long as they keep the iconic aspects of them and Barbaras red hair is part of the character.

To me Halle Berry exudes Selina Kyle, Henry Golding I would DIE to kill Superman, he screams Clark Kent to me, Ryan Potter wouldve made a great Tim Drake.

 

[DoomRulz]

In the case of Catwoman, I could bend a little because in Batman: Year One, she definitely isn't white or Caucasian. Not to mention, Eartha Kitt so...yeah.

 

[Fincher]

I think Leslie Grace could be a good Barbara, but if she doesn't meet someone's expectations for the role that's up to them.

 

[Eddie Dean]

In the case of Catwoman, I could bend a little because in Batman: Year One, she definitely isn't white or Caucasian. Not to mention, Eartha Kitt so...yeah.

So if there was one comic where Barbara Gordon wasn't a white redhead... you would be ok with it?

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

Red hair is more important than race or ethnicity. I’ve heard good things about Leslie Grace, and I’m very curious to see how she plays off of Michael Keaton. Dude has mad charisma and is a force onscreen, they definitely needed someone vibrant and charismatic for this role. I’m so curious to see which universe this falls under. And how they’ll handle the Pat Hingle shaped elephant in the room.

I absolutely loathe the idea of Gordon being younger than Bruce. That’s completely wrong.

 

[FunkMiller]

If a character’s skin colour doesn’t change the characterisation from the source material, I don’t see that there’s any issue with it.

For instance, making Bruce Wayne a black dude would probably require some fairly heavy alterations to the characterisation, because of the markedly different upbringing and family history he’d have had (unless you ignore that altogether, which doesn’t seem a good idea for anyone). Now, I’d actually very much like to see that characterisation done in some respect, as it would no doubt highlight a lot of issues with race in American society, but I wouldn’t want a ‘classic’ Bruce Wayne to be race bent, with no acknowledgement of the impact that would have.

Babs is different though. She’s the daughter of a working class cop in a corrupt city. There’s nothing about her character that requires her to be white. Perfectly fine to change.

 

[Primal Slayer]

If a character’s skin colour doesn’t change the characterisation from the source material, I don’t see that there’s any issue with it.

For instance, making Bruce Wayne a black dude would probably require some fairly heavy alterations to the characterisation, because of the markedly different upbringing and family history he’d have had (unless you ignore that altogether, which doesn’t seem a good idea for anyone). Now, I’d actually very much like to see that characterisation done in some respect, as it would no doubt highlight a lot of issues with race in American society, but I wouldn’t want a ‘classic’ Bruce Wayne to be race bent, with no acknowledgement of the impact that would have.

Babs is different though. She’s the daughter of a working class cop in a corrupt city. There’s nothing about her character that requires her to be white. Perfectly fine to change.

Even with Bruce, there are wealthy african americans who come from money. If anything it could play even further into the popular "Bruce Wayne is the mask". Him coming up in a predominantly white dominated field would play fairly interesting.

There's a notion amongst Hollywood and comics that if you racebend a character into being black they all of a sudden have to come from poverty and have a chip on their shoulder (Wally West, Ryan Wilder) when that's not necessarily the case for all of us.

 

[Vlyse]

 

[Frodo]

To those who say they want Barbara Gordon to “look the way she does in the comics”(which is pretty much a codified way for saying you only think a white person should play the role) you can still see white Barbara Gordon this year played by actress Samatha Welch on the third season of that Titans show.

Though she won’t be dressing up on Batgirl on the show. I’m just amused by the unironic insinuations that redheads characters are being erased, and ‘blackwashed’.

As a minority, I prefer people just be up front and say they don't want a minority in the role .

As much as I may disagree with a sentiment that someone may have about race bending, I prefer they just come out a say they don't want a minority in the part .

The hair thing is silly, since everyone knows, good and well ,that wigs can be worn ,and hair can be dyed.

If the issue is really only about the red hair, there really shouldn't be much concern given how that problem can be solved very easily.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Some of the takes in here are hilariously cringe.

But congratulations to Leslie Grace, I’m sure she’ll do fine.

 

[super85]

To those who say they want Barbara Gordon to “look the way she does in the comics”(which is pretty much a codified way for saying you only think a white person should play the role) you can still see white Barbara Gordon this year played by actress Samatha Welch on the third season of that Titans show.

Though she won’t be dressing up on Batgirl on the show. I’m just amused by the unironic insinuations that redheads characters are being erased, and ‘blackwashed’.

That would be nice, but Titans is a pretty horrible show. So Ill probably skip that too, unless I get reports that the showrunner and writers have actually learned to tell decent stories.

 

[Blade Hoarder]

I prefer the characters to be the ethnicities they are in the comics.

the vast majority of comic book characters were written in the 40-60’s. Your preference ensures that most of them will be WASPS.

you’re okay with that, right?

POC can’t find work in CBM movies? Tough break. The majority of them were written during segregation!

 

[Blade Hoarder]

Why is there such a hostile reaction to those of us who think the character should be portrayed as he/she is depicted in the books? Race- and gender-swapping characters for the sake of "diversity and equity" (which is meaningless anyway) is insulting and demeaning to minority groups. I say that as a member of a minority group.

what’s stopping Leslie from portraying an accurate version of the character? You think her skin color being two degrees darker forever prevents her from portraying the role accurately?

also, nice assumption there with thinking the black chick got the role because of some agenda. Maybe, get this, she had the best audition.

 

[super85]

the vast majority of comic book characters were written in the 40-60’s. Your preference ensures that most of them will be WASPS.

you’re okay with that, right?

POC can’t find work in CBM movies? Tough break. The majority of them were written during segregation!

Yes, like I said, I prefer characters to be the ethnicity they are in the comics. There is hardly anything controversial about comic book fans wanting that. I support the film/tv projects that I think gets things "Close enough".

One of my favorite comic characters is STEEL. I think he was a awesome in the Superman comics I read as a kid. That characters has been seriously under used by WB. I like that they are using him these days. I wouldnt support a projects if they changed his ethnicity either.

As a consumer of these products and a fan of DC I of course want characters to be played by actors that are Close in looks to the comics. I am not going to think about actors who dont look like the part not getting a job.

 

[Sithborg]

Why is there such a hostile reaction to those of us who think the character should be portrayed as he/she is depicted in the books? Race- and gender-swapping characters for the sake of "diversity and equity" (which is meaningless anyway) is insulting and demeaning to minority groups. I say that as a member of a minority group.

It can become very telling when such opinions are based in bigotry. This is hardly a new concept, and many have recognized the language of bigotry, intentional or not.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Why is there such a hostile reaction to those of us who think the character should be portrayed as he/she is depicted in the books? Race- and gender-swapping characters for the sake of "diversity and equity" (which is meaningless anyway) is insulting and demeaning to minority groups. I say that as a member of a minority group.

Cause even when you have black or minority characters like Roberto in New Mutants or Rue in Hunger Games, fans can whatever reasons default them to white.
Or when adapted, like Bane, their specific culture cues are erased so not to make them ethnic.

That’s not for diversity. It’s simply giving a white person a job cause they have connections to studio or casting. They aren’t told not to bother auditioning cause they aren’t Latino. They’ll change the character to make it okay.

Talia Al Ghul is from some vague Middle Eastern heritage?…well I worked with Oscar winner Marion Colltiard in Inception so I’ll just roll her over into this role.

But if a minority wants to go out for a traditional depicted white role, it can’t just be cause they deserve a shot on talent. Nah, they have to be some underhanded diversity gimmick.

The argument your making is basically “know your place” and don’t bother trying.

Scarlet Johansson has access to redhead, blonde, brunette white women characters with hair dye but a Latina can’t cause her skin is too dark?

 

[Primal Slayer]

Reminds me of the fun of The Witcher where they hired POC and the argument was "but this is BASED on medieval times where POC wouldnt be around"

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Reminds me of the fun of The Witcher where they hired POC and the argument was "but this is BASED on medieval times where POC wouldnt be around"

Aladdin adaptation…let’s add a white character and now give him his own story.

 

[Frodo]

It can become very telling when such opinions are based in bigotry. This is hardly a new concept, and many have recognized the language of bigotry, intentional or not.

Absolutely. Especially when phrases like " Too PC, Token, Woke, quota" etc are thrown around as code or dog whistles in the name of " Being true to the comics".

There tends to be lots of racially charged nerd rage around these types of castings, though , there seems to be more and more acceptance with castings such as Wright as Gordon, Fishburne as Perry, Zendaya as MJ, etc.

Not saying there still aren't vocal voices against those castings, but there's alot more minds open to it today than in the past.

 

[Blade Hoarder]

Yes, like I said, I prefer characters to be the ethnicity they are in the comics. There is hardly anything controversial about comic book fans wanting that.

If you want to ignore the important context of most major comic book characters written before desegregation, that’s on you. Thankfully most of the people who actually make these products aren’t in such bliss.

 

[Frodo]

This has been happening a while, and even then ,when you think about the number of DC characters that have been adapted in live action, there really haven't been that many race bent over 60 odd years of adaptations.

 

[DoomRulz]

the vast majority of comic book characters were written in the 40-60’s. Your preference ensures that most of them will be WASPS.

you’re okay with that, right?

POC can’t find work in CBM movies? Tough break. The majority of them were written during segregation!

So create an original character and let them shine on their own merits (even though non-white comic book characters have been around since the 60s at least, but whatever) instead of propping them on the shoulders of an established white character, thereby giving them a boost because you don't believe a non-white character can succeed. All you've done by promoting the rubbish casting choices Hollywood makes in cases like this is say that minority actors can only win when being given the sloppy seconds.

If you're going to die on this hill that non-white comic book characters don't exist and/or don't get the respect they deserve, Blade, Luke Cage, Steel, Black Panther, Lucius Fox, Falcon, Black Lightning, Storm, John Stewart, and countless others would like a word with you.

 

[Babillygunn]

I would respect the “I'll skip this one” due to the race swapping crowd much more if I actually for a minute believed that they skipped Batman Begins over Liam Nelson being cast as Ras Al Ghul or TDKR over Hardy as Bane and a French Talia.

Personally, I was fine with those castings for the same reason I am good with this one: I want the best actor for the role more than I want someone who looks just like how they were drawn.