Heimdall was cast!

[JAK®]

Ok. Let's do this another way.


Would it have been ok to make Bilbo Baggin's and Elf? He's a minor character related to one of the other characters.

Why add one more thing?

This comparison doesn't work. First of all, elves and hobbits are different species, while black and white people are not. Secondly, there are no elvish actors. This is the only way the comparison will work. In your scenario, they have cast an actor regardless of race, but altered the characters 'race' anyway.

Not to mention Lord of the Rings depends on different and separate 'kingdoms' of human-like races to establish its unique fantasy world.

 

[afan]

We don't even know important Heimdall is in the movie.

We do now....

 

[spider-neil]

This comparison doesn't work. First of all, elves and hobbits are different species, while black and white people are not. Secondly, there are no elvish actors. This is the only way the comparison will work. In your scenario, they have cast an actor regardless of race, but altered the characters 'race' anyway.

Not to mention Lord of the Rings depends on different and separate 'kingdoms' of human-like races to establish its unique fantasy world.

a better example to to choose a comic book movie (as this is a comic book movie) move down the list of the actors (lead all the way down) and then choose an equivalent character and then change the colour.
you can't say how you feel if they made robbie robinson (spidey movies)white because robbie isn't a minor character, it's more what if they made betty brant black.

 

[NoirMan82]

I just don't see how it's a big deal. If they swap Heimdall's race in the comics after 40 years of being white, that'd be a whole other story. But changing it right from the start for the films, which are adaptations of comics that were (very, very) loosely adapted from myths, which are themselves highly contradictory written accounts of verbal stories told by people over a thousand years ago? Doesn't bother me. It's not like they cast Tyrese or Ludacris as Heimdall; Elba is a bloody amazing actor, period.

Exactly. Let's be clear, if I was directing Thor, I would have cast a white actor as Heimdall. I'm a purist, so it's not like I totally agree with the decision, but with an actor of Elba's ability I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. But Franklin, you're going off in some wild tangents that makes this seem a bit more personal on your part. And the fact you keep calling it a "gimmick" casting decision is equally troubling. There have been thousands of characters on stage and screen depicted differently than the way they were written. It happens, but it's just entertainment and you shouldn't take it as a slight.

 

[Rich Santoro]

A previous poster mentioned Hogun.........now to me if you're gonna drift, here is where to drift. Hogun is already non-Aesir so nothing prevents a casting choice in any direction, however Heimdall is another matter. You are purposefully altering the race of the character. It is that purpose that puzzles me. The inclusion of a black actor is of no import to me, but the why is.

The Why is??? So if he has puts on a knock out performance in the role (big or small) does it matter if he was cast because Branaugh liked his audition, or because some suit wanted to add diversity???

You would be OK with one reason, but not the other... regardless of the actually results in the film???

This is why people like Branaugh makes films and not people of brick wall logic.

 

[Manowar]

I'm very curious as to how they will explain/handle it in the movie. Because to me, it's a little distracting. Just doesn't make any sense really. Nick Fury was a surprise, but plausible. Heimdall is an Asgardian Norse God (Hogun isn't), so I dunno.

And I doubt people are being racist on this thread. Is it wrong to think that it's a bad choice and doesn't make any sense? And if there is debate over it, it's just a debate. If somone was racist, I think you would see it pretty quickly...As has happened in these forums in the past.

 

[Stripesy Strip]

The Thor production of the Thor movie are ashamed of its Norse roots, it seems to me.

I'm not too impressed by Kenneth Branagh.

 

[terry78]

The Thor production of the Thor movie are ashamed of its Norse roots, it seems to me.

I'm not too impressed by Kenneth Branagh.

What reason has he given to doubt his talent before?

 

[afan]

The Why is??? So if he has puts on a knock out performance in the role (big or small) does it matter if he was cast because Branaugh liked his audition, or because some suit wanted to add diversity???

You would be OK with one reason, but not the other... regardless of the actually results in the film???

This is why people like Branaugh makes films and not people of brick wall logic.

If it was the will of a suit that determined the casting I would have less respect for the film and the director than if it was the power of the actor.

It would be tantamount to watching Thor drink endless quantities of BUD LIGHT.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I'm very curious as to how they will explain/handle it in the movie. Because to me, it's a little distracting. Just doesn't make any sense really. Nick Fury was a surprise, but plausible. Heimdall is an Asgardian Norse God (Hogun isn't), so I dunno.

Random mortal: Heimdall, you're black! But you're white in the myths!
Heimdall: We gods have more important matters to consider than correcting the errors of Viking skalds.

And let's be very clear about this Hogun thing: Hogun is not from the city of Asgard. He is, however, indigenous to the dimension of Asgard. He is an Asgardian god; he was just born on another part of the Asgardian continent and thus has different features from those of the gods born in and around the city of Asgard itself. It's not like some random dude just wandered into Asgard and the gods accepted him. There are other races in Asgard.

 

[Darknightnomis]

I think in the current Thor comics Heimall Mortal self IS black.

So maybe that had an influence on the casting.

 

[JAK®]

The Thor production of the Thor movie are ashamed of its Norse roots, it seems to me.

I'm not too impressed by Kenneth Branagh.

So what are you suggesting? Only cast Norwegian actors?

Should we go a step further and cast actual gods in the role?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I think in the current Thor comics Heimall Mortal self IS black.

So maybe that had an influence on the casting.

Heimdall doesn't have a "mortal self" in the comics. His spirit went into a white man from New Orleans until Thor freed him and restored his body.

 

[afan]

I think in the current Thor comics Heimall Mortal self IS black.

So maybe that had an influence on the casting.

Interesting, is that Ezra?

Heimdall doesn't have a "mortal self" in the comics. His spirit went into a white man from New Orleans until Thor freed him and restored his body.

Could this be what the casting is from? A black man from New Orleans is not a stretch in casting.

 

[Rich Santoro]

I'm small minded? Because I want a white character to be a white character? I'm small minded because I want black characters to be black characters?

Just because you want Bilbo Baggins to be a smurf instead of a hobbit doesn't make me small minded.

What makes you small-minded is your certitude that it was a "affirmative action pick". Your diatribe about it being a "gimmick cast". Your dismissal of the artistic selection made by the director...

The false equivalency about Bilbo is a nice touch. I think you are exhibiting a bit of reactionary angst, against... whatever, and people are calling you on it. It is not racism... it is ignorance. Rock on...

 

[Stripesy Strip]

So what are you suggesting? Only cast Norwegian actors?

Should we go a step further and cast actual gods in the role?

Thor had the chance to have the most kickass cast in the history with guys like Stellan Skarsgård, Ray Winstone, Brendan Gleason, Nick Nolte, Vladimir Kulich, Max Martini, etc...and instead went PC bull*****.

Screw Hollywood and their wussy filmakers.

 

[JAK®]

Interesting fact for people against the casting because black norse gods are historically inaccurate/unrealistic.

If we were going to get technical about accuracy when it comes to race, ancient scandinavians were definitely white. But they were white. As in, pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. White people as we know them today, in America and Britain, are actually the result of the light-skinned vikings and meditarranean romans mixing in roman-occupied Britain. So a lot of white people have brown hair and can tan easily due to the genetic mixing.

So, if we were going to be technical, every norse god would have blonde hair and blue eyes like Thor.

Black haired Jamie Alexander playing black haired Lady Sif is therefore inaccurate.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Interesting, is that Ezra?



Could this be what the casting is from? A black man from New Orleans is not a stretch in casting.

I doubt it. Is the rebirth via humans plot point even in the film? I can't imagine why it would be, since this will be the first presentation of Marvel's Asgardians on film and they weren't reborn in the comics until recently, after a very long and specific storyline.

Basically, I think the people making the film were either told to cast a black man or Elba's audition blew them away. Either way, Elba's awesome so I'm happy.

 

[topdog1]

Screw Hollywood and their wussy filmakers.

"Wolverine is NOT that tall."

"Spider-Man CAN'T have organic webshooters."

"The Kingpin is NOT black."

"The director of Zuthura is going Iron Man? WTF?"

"These movies are going to suck."

Do extreme fanboys ever get tired of being wrong? Blowing a gasket over the skin tone of a character that will have 4 minutes of air time can be added to the list.

 

[DocHoliday]

"Wolverine is NOT that tall."

"Spider-Man CAN'T have organic webshooters."

"The Kingpin is NOT black."

"The director of Zuthura is going Iron Man? WTF?"

"These movies are going to suck."

Do extreme fanboys ever get tired of being wrong? Blowing a gasket over the skin tone of a character that will have 4 minutes of air time can be added to the list.

I hope he has a fight scene.

 

[Rich Santoro]

Not to mention... This is the Marvel-Movie-verse... whose cannon thus far and assuredly to come, is demonstrably different than the the comic book cannon.

Not getting that is just silly.

IM was captured by a multinational terrorist organization in the desert... TIH was created by a gamma irradiated off-shoot of the SSS... Obadiah Stane was Tony Stark's business partner... Emil Blonsky was a British special forces commando...

Get over it.

 

[BoredGuy]

They could go all Starry-Faced with Heimdall and then you won't even see his skin color.

I say take a wait-and-see approach on this one.

Again, faith in Branagh...

 

[Ace of Knaves]

I just hope the ethnicity of Heimdell was changed for artistic purposes, not to pander to the politically correct zealots.

And with it being Branagh in charge, I'm confident it's the former.

 

[Stripesy Strip]

"Wolverine is NOT that tall."

"Spider-Man CAN'T have organic webshooters."

"The Kingpin is NOT black."

"The director of Zuthura is going Iron Man? WTF?"

"These movies are going to suck."

Do extreme fanboys ever get tired of being wrong? Blowing a gasket over the skin tone of a character that will have 4 minutes of air time can be added to the list.

It's wussy because instead of doing a good movie about Thor, they chiken out and trying to appease to other demographics "so the movie is accepted in other countries". It has nothing to do with your other examples.

I can't wait to see what they're gonna do with Captain America. "you have can't him be too patriotic".

 

[Ace of Knaves]

So even if they are trying to appease other demographics, that automatically makes it a bad film? Are you even thinking before you type?