Black Superheroes Movies

[Iceburgeruk]

After watching the trailer for Hancock I can say that i find the idea of the lazy, unlucky and partially inept superhero a novel idea but i am quite annoyed that once again it is a black superhero who is used to show this.

I`ve noticed that although we live in very advanced and sympathetic times hollywood still seems to have the idea that a bacl person being a superhero or say even a secret agent is a unique idea and one full of comedy ideas.

I mean blade was a great super hero film but there haven`t been any memorable serious black superheroes since and we`ve had some very odd films like Undercover Brother or Meteor Man or even to an degree Hancock.

I just seem to feel that hollywood has this strange belief that the idea of a white super hero is logical while a black super hero is laughable. Its seems like a step backwards really.

This belief becomes even more shocking with films where it features black secret agents. Do they seriously think that there are no black secret agents working in the US? Or that any black secret agent would walk around acting and dressing like he just exploded out of a collection of Blaxploitation flicks?

I dunno. I might be overreacting but it just seems like a worrying undercurrent.

 

[November Rain]

i don't even think this is going to be a comedy, they are just using comedic aspects of it to sell...

 

[Iceburgeruk]

i don't even think this is going to be a comedy, they are just using comedic aspects of it to sell...

I know but there are hints that he isn`t that good at what he does.

 

[IamProdigy]

Undercover Brother and Meteor Man are great movies, haha; "Don't...call...me...a...SISSY!!!!!".

And I think Will Smith has done an excellent job with looking like Method Man in the Hancock teaser.

 

[murdock_matt]

I can see where this can be an issue for some people. I think it's a legitimate beef. But I gotta admit, the race issue NEVER occurred to me while I was watching the trailer. Maybe because it was Will Smith - and to me he's not an actor that is defined by his ethnicity. Hancock seems to be a character who could be played by any actor, regardless of race.

And since we're on the subject, I hope the movie doesn't try to level the playing field through some PC-influenced plot device (i.e. one of the good agents in "True Lies" being middle-Eastern to lessen the blow of having middle-Easterners as the terrorists). Little unspoken apologies like that take me out of films even more than blatant product placements. But it wouldn't surprise me if the bane of Hancock's existence is a super-successful black superhero.

 

[The Shrike]

...but there haven`t been any memorable serious black superheroes since...

His legend is only beginning to grow, but don't overlook Chocolate Rain.

 

[bullets]

i think the thing with hitchcock is that he will come through in the end as a good hero . the problem with comics is there aren't enough black superheroes.


a black panther or luke cage movie could help . also hitchcock will no doubt make over 100 million dollars , so he who laughs last , laughs the loudest.

 

[ANTOINE X]

I understand what you mean and I can't wait for a Luke cage(or power man for me) and black panther movie but also you have to know that black doesn't represent the world. There's chinese, hindoux, latino, arabes who don't have a superheroe. If you look it this way it s not so bad.

 

[Sun_Down]

Hancock looks idiotic. I don't know if it's a matter of race as much as a matter of crappy, lazy writing and Will Smith apparently having no self-respect.

 

[Artistsean]

I think Will Smith wanted to do something original, a superhero movie but not one already in comics, or maybe he really liked the script or the character. He seems good in it from what I have seen.
Maybe the trailers don't do the movie justice. I have seen a few movies where the commercials and trailers just look horrible but the movie is either watchable or pretty good.
The idea looks good (even if the movie isn't), almost like the beginning of Incredbiles. Where he saves the day but some people get hurt because doing stuff like stopping a train isn't as easy as it seems.

Its too bad though because the effects look great.

It looks better than what I had originally thought it was going to be.
I like that he doesn't have a costume but I hope its not all about him trying to save the day and messing up and people getting angry at him, or done in a goofy fashion.

 

[chamber-music]

I don't think Hancock is being derogatry to black people or anything. The role could of been played by someone of any race. Perhaps your being a tad over sensitive.

Although John singleton did say studio's where reluctant to finanace a black superhero movie when he was going on about Power Man/Luke cage.

Isn't the Green Latern in the JLA movie gonna be the black John Stewart anyway.

 

[November Rain]

Hancock looks idiotic. I don't know if it's a matter of race as much as a matter of crappy, lazy writing and Will Smith apparently having no self-respect.

Dude, it's quite clear that over the years he's become an alcoholic and his outlook on being a superhero (all give no take) has taken its toll on his personal life.

read between the lines, it's bloody genius.

Don't let a marketing tool fool ya. Heck i bet you thought spidey 3 was going to be dark as well...guess which department fooled ya then too...

 

[William_C]

Dude, it's quite clear that over the years he's become an alcoholic and his outlook on being a superhero (all give no take) has taken its toll on his personal life.

read between the lines, it's bloody genius.

Don't let a marketing tool fool ya. Heck i bet you thought spidey 3 was going to be dark as well...guess which department fooled ya then too...

 

[matthooper]

After watching the trailer for Hancock I can say that i find the idea of the lazy, unlucky and partially inept superhero a novel idea but i am quite annoyed that once again it is a black superhero who is used to show this.

I`ve noticed that although we live in very advanced and sympathetic times hollywood still seems to have the idea that a bacl person being a superhero or say even a secret agent is a unique idea and one full of comedy ideas.

I mean blade was a great super hero film but there haven`t been any memorable serious black superheroes since and we`ve had some very odd films like Undercover Brother or Meteor Man or even to an degree Hancock.

I just seem to feel that hollywood has this strange belief that the idea of a white super hero is logical while a black super hero is laughable. Its seems like a step backwards really.

This belief becomes even more shocking with films where it features black secret agents. Do they seriously think that there are no black secret agents working in the US? Or that any black secret agent would walk around acting and dressing like he just exploded out of a collection of Blaxploitation flicks?

I dunno. I might be overreacting but it just seems like a worrying undercurrent.

The film wasn't written for a black actor. It just so happens that a black actor got the part. The screenplay was written long before a black actor was cast.

 

[DarKush]

i think the thing with hitchcock is that he will come through in the end as a good hero . the problem with comics is there aren't enough black superheroes.


a black panther or luke cage movie could help . also hitchcock will no doubt make over 100 million dollars , so he who laughs last , laughs the loudest.

I agree with you that there aren't enough black heroes in comics, however there are quite a bit that don't always get the attention, development, or push they deserve.

I think characters like Luke Cage, Black Panther, Black Lightning, John Stewart (Green Lantern), Cyborg, War Machine, Deadlock, Nighthawk from Supreme Power, are just a few characters that I can think of off the top of my head that could be put on the big screen fairly easily. For black female heroines, it might be even more dicey, but I think Vixen and Storm grace the big screen again if handled correctly.

There is also Milestone's lineup sitting out there, untouched. I think Icon/Rocket, and Static could also be made into pretty good movies.

 

[November Rain]

as soon as you mentioned vixen, i thought of halle berry, why the hell didn't they make her a vixen film instead of forcing her to be a catwoman type persona???

She'd make an awesome vixen

 

[November Rain]

I think another problem is too look at it as a black superhero film...

it should just be a superhero film and viewed upon from that standpoint only. The characters should not be seen as demographic representations on screen rather than direct translation of their comicbook counterparts.

a superhero film who stars a black character should not simply aim at the black people as their market, they should look to the same market the rest of them aim for. comic book and children/family.

Funny thing but the best representation of a black person in this media is probably frozone in the incredibles but we'll see how jimmy rhodes does in iron man, i bet he'll be amazing

 

[DarKush]

I think another problem is too look at it as a black superhero film...

it should just be a superhero film and viewed upon from that standpoint only. The characters should not be seen as demographic representations on screen rather than direct translation of their comicbook counterparts.

a superhero film who stars a black character should not simply aim at the black people as their market, they should look to the same market the rest of them aim for. comic book and children/family.

Funny thing but the best representation of a black person in this media is probably frozone in the incredibles but we'll see how jimmy rhodes does in iron man, i bet he'll be amazing

I agree with you, however, movies with a black lead generally-though not always-are considered 'black-themed' movies and are marketed that way. Of course, Sam Jackson, Denzel, Morgan Freeman, and Will Smith have 'broken' that perception. Jamie Foxx and Forrest Whittaker are two others, and Terrence Howard is coming up, but I don't think has went beyond that.

One of the problems I also see is the inability of white audiences to identify with movies with a predominately black casts, or with blacks lead roles. Some of these films focus on niche-markets, but a lot of predominately white films do as well, however they aren't called 'white' films. And many black moviegoers go to these films with little to no problem.

One example here is Spawn, where McFarlane changed one of his character's racial backgrounds because the studio had a concern about their being too many black people in the film. Or films like Blade where he is 'race neutral', or race is 'subtly' used as when Deacon Frost calls Blade an Uncle Tom.

I also feel that this lack of empathy is the reason that there are few, if any, major black superheroes in comics. Or or the small screen. I haven't watched Heroes, but I heard the black guy on there was a convict which is stereotypical, if true. And on Blade the series, Blade took a backseat to Marcus and Krista, two white characters. However, I think many Blade fans-black, white, etc.-took an issue with this, maybe not for racial reasons but because of their love for the Blade character.


I would like to have a movie with a hero who is black, is knowledgeable of his racial identity, and it still be successful. It doesn't mean the hero has to beat you over the head with it. Why do black characters, and black people, always have to divest themselves, or are encouraged to divest themselves of their racial identities for mainstream approval?

If this is a tolerate, truly open society, we should be able to embrace different points of view and cultures without bleaching them. However, also let me say that I have no desire to solely blame white people for this sad state of affairs. There has been lukewarm support for black characters among many blacks as well. Plus, there has been some pretty lame black comic book characters. Just take a look at Wikipedia if you don't believe me. While other promising characters haven't gotten the push or support they need.

 

[DarKush]

as soon as you mentioned vixen, i thought of halle berry, why the hell didn't they make her a vixen film instead of forcing her to be a catwoman type persona???

She'd make an awesome vixen

I agree with you. I think that Catwoman movie should've been turned into Vixen. Part of the hatred spewed at it was because it was supposed to be Catwoman. Vixen is far less well known, and though it would've been panned, I don't know if it would've been as reviled.

It seems to me that the JLA artists draw Vixen currently like Halle. I think she would've been an almost perfect fit. Oh well.

 

[Morg]

wait till next year, Will Smith plays a black Superman like hero, just saw the teaser at the theater

 

[Warhammer]

Hancock looks idiotic. I don't know if it's a matter of race as much as a matter of crappy, lazy writing and Will Smith apparently having no self-respect.

 

[Warhammer]

After watching the trailer for Hancock I can say that i find the idea of the lazy, unlucky and partially inept superhero a novel idea but i am quite annoyed that once again it is a black superhero who is used to show this.

I`ve noticed that although we live in very advanced and sympathetic times hollywood still seems to have the idea that a bacl person being a superhero or say even a secret agent is a unique idea and one full of comedy ideas.

I mean blade was a great super hero film but there haven`t been any memorable serious black superheroes since and we`ve had some very odd films like Undercover Brother or Meteor Man or even to an degree Hancock.

I just seem to feel that hollywood has this strange belief that the idea of a white super hero is logical while a black super hero is laughable. Its seems like a step backwards really.

This belief becomes even more shocking with films where it features black secret agents. Do they seriously think that there are no black secret agents working in the US? Or that any black secret agent would walk around acting and dressing like he just exploded out of a collection of Blaxploitation flicks?

I dunno. I might be overreacting but it just seems like a worrying undercurrent.

Undercover Brother was not nor meant to be a superhero film. It was a comedy meant to parody the blaxploitation of the 70's, as well as James Bond.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Undercover Brother was hilarious. It was like the black Austin Powers.

 

[Warhammer]

I catch it everytime it comes on TV. It's hilarious.

 

[GL1]

Berry's Catwoman would have been a great Vixen movie...

And lets just not get started with racial trends on Heroes.

But the bottom line is: Movie Marketting departments are idiots. It doesn't look like they're ever going to figure out that white people go to movies starring black people. They just do.

I know, I've seen them.