Color Blind Casting

[WTFimVENOM]

eh, I'm all about free speech no matter how stupid what's being spoken freely is. He was being a faker though so I don't care that much. Whatever, the topic has been derailed sufficiently enough. Back on track folks. Nothing left to see here.

Kingpin is one of those charaters that happened to work IMO, but this isn't always the case, obviously MLK Jr wouldn't be played by a white man, but according to a recent Rolling Stone article, child Bob Dylan is set to be played by a young black actor for a part in an upcoming movie about his life and work, its a very interesting choice since after this he will then be played by two other white actors in the same movie.(srry don't have the link)

 

[StrainedEyes]

I don't mind it happening, like if it does happen I wouldn't be up in arms about it, But it just seems silly to me.

The only established character I could see switching race is Bond, but even that is a stretch. But atleast Bond has been shown as many different people and it doesn't really matter.

Superman shouldn't be black, There's no reason other than equal rights to make Superman black, especially when he has been white for so long.

Blade shouldn't be white. The character just wouldn't work as a white person.

Like I said, I'm ok with it if it has to happen, Kingpin had to be played by MCD because Big Muscular Bald white guys look like idiots, But if there are plenty of fine actors to play the role in it's original race there isn't a reason to change it.

 

[Abaddon]

found a link
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdai...peek-todd-haynes-bob-dylan-film-im-not-there/

and a clip- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyWgzUGOliw

interesting.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

I agree it a shame we still have to follow norms in movies.

I would love to see a black guy for Superman.

No man,just no.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Don't switch races for historical roles. I also don't like race-swapping for main superheroes, however it can work fine for supporting characters and some villains.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I think it depends, historical figures should be cast accurately IMO, for instance American Gangster would be stupid with a white man cast as Frank Lucas, likewise in fiction, Bond is a white man and Shaft is a black man, these are icons and should be left as they were created, in the case of original screenplay casting of hero, villain, love interest and all roles in between, colour should not be a factor.

 

[JackBauer]

I'll just say this: when you have tons of actors who have the talent AND fit the character's visage (which isn't the case of Kingpin), even somewhat, why the hell go for something else? it kinda takes from the legitimacy of the adaptation, IMO.

but y'know, if you're going for this mistake, at least stick with your convictions. don't make the mistake they made with Jessica Alba and try to make someone who doesn't even RESEMBLE the character they're portraying look like them. it just looks ridiculous.

funnily enough though, I do think Denzel would make an awesome Lex Luthor. I guess it's a case by case basis...

 

[Erzengel]

I don't mind a Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin or a Samual L. Jackson as Fury. The actor has to pull off a believable role.

Unlike Alba in Fantastic Four who they made look freaky trying to dye her hair or in the instance of FF2 a wig, and with unnnatural looking eyes.

If you have to do that to a character maybe substituting races isn't a good idea.

 

[JackBauer]

I think it depends, historical figures should be cast accurately IMO, for instance American Gangster would be stupid with a white man cast as Frank Lucas, likewise in fiction, Bond is a white man and Shaft is a black man, these are icons and should be left as they were created, in the case of original screenplay casting of hero, villain, love interest and all roles in between, colour should not be a factor.

QFT

 

[Mr. Socko]

I've always wanted to see Sam Jackson as Lex Luthor.

 

[Warhammer]

This is a very interesting topic, but is also a touchy subject, and a very, very difficult subject to discuss, let alone in a civil matter. Some can accept color blind casting 100%, some are so-so about it, and some don't like the idea. Some opinions will be viewed on as racist when they clearly weren't meant to be, and vice-versa in this thread.

From a Black/Asian P.O.V., I'd say that I am so-so about it. For instance, I wouldn't like Batman/Bruce Wayne to be a black man, but I wouldn't mind Harvey Dent/Two-Face being black (Denzel Washington was just perfect casting to me). Instances like Kingpin being portrayed by Michael Clarke Duncan didn't bother me. How many people know who the Kingpin is, and how many people in Hollywood had the commanding/physical stature to portray Kingpin? That was my argument about that. Since I already forsee Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury being brought up, I'll try to answer that one, too. This is a different case. Because two Nick Fury's exist in 616 and Ultimate Marvel, combined with the facts that Ultimate Fury was based on Jackson, Ultimate Fury as a General would arguably work better as a cameo, Samuel L. Jackson was arguably an idea that the writers of Iron Man and Jon Favreau fancied/wanted to cash in on, and they wanted to add Jackson's likeness to add quality to the film justifies his casting as Nick Fury in Iron Man.

In terms of Hollywood (non-superhero) films, I find the idea of color blind casting very interesting. Will Smith in I Am Legend, for example, is very intriguing because Neville doesn't necessarily have to be a black man. They wanted to cast Will Smith, and they did, not only because he is a good actor and a huge box office draw, but because he is able to do the job, regardless of race. Color blind casting is also convenient because in most Hollywood scripts, race is irrelevant. They cast whoever they want because they want to, whether it's based on acting skills, pre-conceptual ideas, to be "diverse," you name it.

I just wanted this to be seen again, past all of that OC racist mumbo jumbo.

 

[Orko Is King]

eh, I'm all about free speech no matter how stupid what's being spoken freely is. He was being a faker though so I don't care that much. Whatever, the topic has been derailed sufficiently enough. Back on track folks. Nothing left to see here.

Kingpin worked because there are no big white guys who're good actors. If it's an established character like Superman, James Bond, etc. keep them how they've been for decades. But Kingpin is definately an exception to the rule. Although a white Black Panther would be pretty damn funny.

 

[Abaddon]

see that's the thing, it would never work for a character whose ethnic background is an important part of him. Luke Cage wouldn't work as anything other than black. Spider-Man, however, could easily be an hispanic kid.

 

[Warhammer]

That's true.
Imagine all of the controversy if that happened, though.

 

[GL1]

I think it's stupid when minority actors are deemed miscast even though they look white. I'm not sure about the Bob Dylan thing, but if the have a guy playing 'young Bob' who looks reasonably, or passably Caucasian, then how the heck does his race matter?

Same with Jessica Alba... who cares is she's 1/8th whatever. Who cares if Lynda Carter is half Mexican... if the character is white and the actor LOOKS white... it's a done deal. It's like telling an actor: You can't play this character, he's 1/8th Navajo and you're not.

Now, obviously the fact that some color blind casting has gone on doesn't make or break anything. You've got a Black Kingpin, well played and well received (in a bad movie albeit) and you've got a nearly universally panned black Catwoman.

So it's not quality that's actually affected.

That said no one wants characters they hold near and dear to them changed in a real life way (name, race, location, occupation) even though they can stand non-real-life changes (powers, costume, origin of powers, villain order). We use the real life attributes to identify with these characters... change them, and what we identify with them is changed.

You can call it racism if you like, but it's one of the most natural things in the world, to identify with things similar to ourselves.

That said, I'd love a Black Namor or a Black Blackbolt.

Edit: Spider-Man could SO easily be a Hispanic kid.

 

[WTFimVENOM]

I think it's stupid when minority actors are deemed miscast even though they look white. I'm not sure about the Bob Dylan thing, but if the have a guy playing 'young Bob' who looks reasonably, or passably Caucasian, then how the heck does his race matter?

Actualy, Im pretty sure one of the other actors playing young man Bob Dylan is Heath Leger

 

[Figs]

You've heard and you've seen a bad side of people.
Who are you to judge an entire race of people?
Have you met every single black person on the face of the planet to give you enough merit to judge like that (same for the Hispanic community)?

Your view is that of the ignorant, closed-minded person. You're definitely right about the fishbowl part, because you live in one to think of that. I suggest you get out more and explore the world. That way, you can see that evil takes no race. The fact that you can seriously say full-blown racist things like that makes me sick.

...And this was exactly what this thread didn't need.

Actually it's not full blown racist crap as you put it. Yeah he sounds a bit extreme about it but I think what he meant is in facts if you look at the readouts and statistics white people are one of the smallest percentages for crime and jail population. I guess he was a little extreme the way he put it but those are the facts. I agree that it's ignorant to judge and look at an entire race or type of people because of that, I don't think all Blacks or Hispanics are criminals, simply stating that the numbers are there though.

As far as topic, I don't mind if it's made up movies and characters but when it comes to existing characters like from a comic. If their white in the comic I want a white actor to play them, same goes for if their black in the comic as well. So if they were ever to make another Blade film or go ahead with the Luke Cage one, if they were to get a white actor for either one of those roles I would call bull**** on it! It's only because if your going to bring an existing character to life on the big screen, shouldn't it look as well as act like the version it's based off of?!

I noticed someone said they wanted a black Superman(even though you already got it with Steel), that too me wouldn't be Superman anymore. As I said in the captions, that's most likely why they made the character Steel up in the past.

In the case of Samuel Jackson playing a cameo of Nick Fury in the Iron Man movie I don't mind since it's based off the ultimates version. The whole point of the ultimates was to recreate all Marvel characters for new generations. So maybe if they did the same with Superman and had him black but with a totally different origin and all that like what they do with ultimates then I guess I wouldn't mind a movie with him. So long as they didn't try to make him be the original.

 

[Figs]

Kingpin worked because there are no big white guys who're good actors. If it's an established character like Superman, James Bond, etc. keep them how they've been for decades. But Kingpin is definately an exception to the rule. Although a white Black Panther would be pretty damn funny.

LOL, that's quite an ignorant qoute there Orko. I guess even the ones who aren't into acting or haven't been discovered are horrible actors as well even though we've never given them a chance.

I did like Duncan as Kingpin though, he did do a good job.

 

[Moviefan2k4]

I think this is one of those rare topics where any reply will sound at least a tiny bit racist to someone. I'm a 27-year-old Caucasian, born and bred in Texas, and many times, my neighbors are either African, Mexican, or Oriental. Does it bother me? Not really, unless I see them doing something insanely stupid. Then, it's not about their race, but rather the crime involved.

As for superheroes, I must admit, the idea of a black Superman makes me nervous (the same goes for instances like a Meixcan playing Spidey, etc.) However, I loved MCD as the Kingpin, and "Smallville" actress Kristin Kreuk is a Chinese/Dutch brunette (when her comic counterpart has been a white redhead for decades). She does great in the role.

I guess the point of all this is to remember one thing: comics have been used for the last 60 years or better, to illustrate the times we live in (no pun intended). Stan Lee is Jewish, as were "Superman" creators Siegel & Shuster. They used their creations as mirrors for society's problems, minorities in particular. Nowadays, directors and actors are doing the same thing with the films ("Blade", "X-Men", Eva Mendes in "Ghost Rider", Jason Lane in "Superman Returns"). As society changes, the stories will, too. But I also believe, rightly or wrongly, that most people have an inherent instinct to "look after their own". As a result, racial changes in main characters would offend some people, while others wouldn't give a second thought.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

Depends,most people do see things normally..and for a movie to be made for those kind of people..may be..hard to do.

 

[Gilpesh]

Black Superman?
Hispanic Spidey? Although.... there have been some in the past (2099?)

Really? If you want those characters, then you would have to stand White Black Panther, and White Luke Cage.

Cause color blind goes both ways.

 

[Warhammer]

Actually it's not full blown racist crap as you put it. Yeah he sounds a bit extreme about it but I think what he meant is in facts if you look at the readouts and statistics white people are one of the smallest percentages for crime and jail population. I guess he was a little extreme the way he put it but those are the facts. I agree that it's ignorant to judge and look at an entire race or type of people because of that, I don't think all Blacks or Hispanics are criminals, simply stating that the numbers are there though.

From where he is from, not everywhere.
Because of where he supposedly was from, he still had that closed minded ignorance.

He was clearly out for attention, anyway.
Even if Outsiderzedge posted in here, he wouldn't rant constantly about this, even though we know he is racist.

 

[bullets]

anyone see blackula

 

[Warhammer]

Haha.

 

[Abaddon]

Black Superman?
Hispanic Spidey? Although.... there have been some in the past (2099?)

Really? If you want those characters, then you would have to stand White Black Panther, and White Luke Cage.

Cause color blind goes both ways.

Since when has Spidey's Caucasianess ever been an issue? There isn't isn't anything about his character that makes him exclusively white.