Marvel's Black & Minority Characters: Roundtable Discussion

[comic book girl]

Thank you lighting strikez for inviting me here. In my personal opinion, I do believe that Halle Berry was an excellent choice for Storm. I mean who else can do it ?

 

[Connor MacLeod]

Thank you lighting strikez for inviting me here. In my personal opinion, I do believe that Halle Berry was an excellent choice for Storm. I mean who else can do it ?

Uh...Angela Bassett comes to mind pretty quickly. And there have been a lot of other suggestions. But I for one didn't think Halle was too bad. But she wasn't particularly great either.

 

[Arach Knight]

Uh...Angela Bassett comes to mind pretty quickly. And there have been a lot of other suggestions. But I for one didn't think Halle was too bad. But she wasn't particularly great either.

-Angela Basset wouldn't work. She is too known for movies like X and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. She is already type-cast in the minds of audiences. That alone would bring down even an astounding performance as Storm. Acting wise she could do it, but that is about it.

Smith was actually in talks with Rob Liefeld to play a Green Lantern-type character called The Mark, which would have had a comic series coinciding with the movie, but it never happened. Jada Pinkett-Smith was also a co-writer on an Awesome Entertainment comic, but like most of the stuff Awesome advertised, it never came out.

- I miss Awesome entertainment. They had KaBoom. That was on of my favorite comic books when I was younger. Too bad people don't remember the gauntlet wielding insanity of that comic....

 

[spider-jide]

But she wasn't particularly great either.

She wasn't "particularly great either" because her script was lacklustre. Berry cant be blamed for the job of the script writer or director. She acted out her scenes pretty well and had she been characterised properly she could have been awesome.

 

[Xfanfan]

Hi Lightning Im here

Well as far as Black super heroes getting their due its about time. I think that Storm does deserve her own movie however, I do agree that right now they should wait. It would be cool if Marvel could first give her an ongoing series to establish her as a solo character then we could have her in her own movie about 10 years from now. As far as the Wolverine/Storm relationship, I think its great and I am looking forward to that and hope they do it tastefully and not make it seem like a one night stand type of thing.

Xfanfan

 

[tamron]

Has anyone spoken of Nick Fury yet, if not.

Nick Fury shouldn't be black in the films. 616 is the real Fury. Ult. is Samuel Jackson:the comicbook.

 

[spider-jide]

Nick Fury shouldn't be black in the films. 616 is the real Fury. Ult. is Samuel Jackson:the comicbook.

You didn't read my earlier post. Its been confirmed that Marvel studios is making the movie and Bruce Willis has been cast to play Fury.

 

[PoSeiDon]

im just speaking on the issue of halle here. since im not into any other black comic character other than storm!

i am a firm believer that any other actress who would have played storm in x1 wouldnt have done a better job than halle for the simple fact that storm was a weak written character and would not have challenged any actress to out do themselves other than learning an accent, which everyone cant dovery well!

everyone has their opinions about halle. but i dont kno if common sense is working in some peoples favor! singer and company didnt write the character like the comic counter-part or close to it! so of course the protrayal of storm didnt go over well. i think halle did a fine job with what she had to do and the lines given to her! the problems with storm dont start with halle but the people who put x1 together!

halle isnt going to be liked by everyone just like everyone else. but the name calling, people typing things about her as if they know her, making threats to other members are all just god awful.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Hi Lightning Im here

Well as far as Black super heroes getting their due its about time. I think that Storm does deserve her own movie however, I do agree that right now they should wait. It would be cool if Marvel could first give her an ongoing series to establish her as a solo character then we could have her in her own movie about 10 years from now. As far as the Wolverine/Storm relationship, I think its great and I am looking forward to that and hope they do it tastefully and not make it seem like a one night stand type of thing.

Xfanfan

I'm annoyed though that Hollywood continues to perpetuate that every black character has to be ghetto, finger-snapping hos or drug dealers who can't articulate themselves. There is more to our culture than this.

And yet, when they get a chance to portrary a character that is revered, sophisticated and heralded as a GODDESS for Christ's sake, what do they do? They revamp her into a first-rate weak pu$$y with bad lines, bad hair and expositioning--"Driving Ms. Daisy" in the Blackbird for two movies straight. Meanwhile they empower her white counterparts with relationships and drama and better opportunities for development.

I'm not saying it's a race issue per se, but it's pretty clear Hollywood is intimidated by the chance to bring out a character who's presence SHOULD be swallowing all other female X-Men. Singer & Co. watered Storm down to a "Seen and not heard" level...and it's irritating because her voice is among the largest and most definitive of the entire X-Men saga.

 

[OutcryX]

-Angela Basset wouldn't work. She is too known for movies like X and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. She is already type-cast in the minds of audiences. That alone would bring down even an astounding performance as Storm. Acting wise she could do it, but that is about it.




- I miss Awesome entertainment. They had KaBoom. That was on of my favorite comic books when I was younger. Too bad people don't remember the gauntlet wielding insanity of that comic....

KaBOOM was an awesome comic. I loved it too! Oh i remember very well the gauntlety goodness of that book!...but back on topic...

Angela Bassett as Storm.....NO!!!! Please will you people QUIT with the Angela Bassett would have been great as Storm...cuz guess what....She ISN'T Storm, Halle Berry is....and seeing how most of the folk in this forum are well..of color, lol Shout out to the WHITE FOLK, lol. Then I would like to assume that you have seen Mrs. Bassett's work. the question comes to mind tho...what has she done lately, hell, what has she done since 1998? SuperNova? Ruby's Bucket of Blood? she was a bit player in that Bernie Mac baseball movie....For her to be as critically acclaimed and whatnot, then why isnt she getting anymore roles?

She COULD have made a good Storm....even though I think Storm is supposed to be JAW DROPPING ASTONISHINGLY OUT OF THIS WORLD GORGEOUS....Mrs. Basset is not. Halle Berry....well....she is damn fine, lol. I am not saying Angela Basset is ugly...she isnt, by far. But she has a certain...manliness to her that certainly ISNT Storm IMO. She had the height, the walk, the fiestiness...but NOT the attitude, personification, or look. She may have the regalness of the character tho. I can certainly see her as a Goddess....but she seems too Diva-eque for Storm. Just my opinion.

 

[tamron]

You didn't read my earlier post. Its been confirmed that Marvel studios is making the movie and Bruce Willis has been cast to play Fury.

I caught it. Just stating my opinion, since the subject came up.

 

[Arach Knight]

Nick Fury shouldn't be black in the films. 616 is the real Fury. Ult. is Samuel Jackson:the comicbook.

They could just do a film about the Ultimates. They are already doing Ultimate Avengers (animated film). That still leaves an opportunity for a black Nick Fury. And to quell all of this. I would just like to remind everybody that Fox already did that terrible made for T.V. movie, Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. It starred David Hasslehoff. It came out around the same time that the terrible Generation X made for T.V. movie came out. Anyways, if Ultimate Avengers is about the Ultimate universe, then I say Samuel L. Jackson all the way.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

Thanks for the invite Lightning. As a big fan of Storm, I think that this thread speaks volumes about how she should have been handled in the films.

It makes me mad that I'm not big in the script writing/directing business. I have tons of ways to portray our Weather Goddess right. And even ideas for a solo film. She'd be her strong mother hen figure, that's for damn sure.

Like others have said...Halle was a pretty good choice, if not the obvious one. She really has a 90 percent chance of hitting the role out of the park if given the right written material. What's so hard for most screenwriters to write Storm correctly? It's not as if she's some totally alien character arc type.

 

[Trickyg]

Anyways, if Ultimate Avengers is about the Ultimate universe, then I say Samuel L. Jackson all the way.

Here Here! That's what I've been saying!

 

[MJB]

The other 2 major Black characters that are up for adapting are both gonna show what hollywood thinks of Black superheroes and actors and their drawing power.Luke Cage i have a feeling will be made into some tacky "hip hop" movie geared more towards selling the latest Ja Rule single and subsequent merchandise than telling a good story
Black Panther should be epic and there is no other way to do him properly and the onscreen treatment he gets both in casting/directing and budget choices will say a lot about how hollywood views black heroes/actors as draws

Well I agree with you on Cage. it will be hiphopped uped with Singleton, but Ja Rule?? Ja Rule is played out, has been for a while.

Blank Panther should be epic and great, but no studio is going to front a big budget unless Will Smith is cast as T'Challa

 

[MJB]

Storm
The problem with a Storm film, in my mind, is that she's been so strongly connected to the X-Men throughout her history. She's had only two solo series, to my knowledge, compared to characters like Gambit and Rogue, who have had several. She's rarely left the mansion for long stretches, and what's ironic is that on her longest stretch (X-Treme X-Men), she took a team with her! She doesn't have the personal villians for a solo film, the way Wolverine has a Sabretooth or a Cyber, the way Gambit has Sinister. Callisto, maybe, or Marrow, but the Morlocks should be in an X-Men movie. And to take her away from the X-Men takes away one of her defining characteristics, that of den mother of the X-Men. In short, I'd rather they just take the time to get Storm right in the X-films, rather than give her a spinoff. In no way is a Storm solo film Marvel's answer to WW, as hunter rider said, its a method to milk the X-brand dry.

A Kerry Washington or a Nona Gaye might be good options, Vivica was a good option.

A solo storm movie would have been good if handled right and had FOX jumped on halle's wave of successs after her oscar win and beat WB to the punch with that whole Catwoman mess.

As for storm having a villian, it's true she really doesn't have any personel villians, but I liked the idea someone suggested a while back that The Shadow King would've made for a good villian in a solo movie. The thing also good about the xmen is their rich stable of characters of mutant bad guys that the xmen have delt with and we know are never going to make the movie. One of them could easily could be fitted as a villian for Storm. You have bad guys like Selene, Exodus, Candra or any of the externals, Sauron, Shinobi Shaw, The GamesMaster, The Upstarts, and so forth, the list can go on. Their is also a stable of undelings who can work with any of these x villians.


Vivica Fox for Storm??? Ughhhh and Thank God, she doesn't need to be anywhere near this role.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Does anyone think that the current House Of M: Black Panther series could be a great starting point for a solo film for T'Challa AND Storm together?

I mean let's look at it: A sapien and Mutant Queen ruling over Africa, and facing common enemies i.e. Kraven or even Ian McKellan as Magneto. A film shot in native Africa would give those two characters plenty of time to do the following:

*Delve deep into Storm's origin--her loss of her parents at a young age

*Show how Ororo was worshipped by tribes for her Goddess-like dominion over the elements and agriculture

*Delve deep into T'Challa's origin and explain his royalty

*By having the two characters in a love story, the need for relationships will be satisfied

*Mind-blowing SFX with the weather etc. could be created against an African landscape

If two notable actors of colour were cast for these roles, I bet this concept would make one helluva splash at the box office. As long as the writing is good the possibilities are endless. All people have to do is get creative!

 

[Hunter Rider]

Well I agree with you on Cage. it will be hiphopped uped with Singleton, but Ja Rule?? Ja Rule is played out, has been for a while.

Blank Panther should be epic and great, but no studio is going to front a big budget unless Will Smith is cast as T'Challa

Thats the sad thing,i like Will but he isnt right for T'Challa IMO but since he is one of only 2 Black actors that are big money draws he is the only chance of HW bankrolling a big budget Black Panther movie

 

[Hunter Rider]

You didn't read my earlier post. Its been confirmed that Marvel studios is making the movie and Bruce Willis has been cast to play Fury.

Marvel and Paramount are definately making it but Willis isnt cast,Arad said he is interested but no deal has been signed yet

 

[Hunter Rider]

Good point.

It sounds like a double standard to me, but since I'm not involved with either production who knows...but to do Tru Blue film with Oscar talent from Denzel Washington involved would be low-hanging fruit for a studio...at least a studio who's smart and fearless.

Thats exactly it,im not sure if it is Denzel they dont have faith in,it's more Fuqua but again i do find it a double standard in this case given the juaxtaposition of The Departed

 

[KenK]

Thats exactly it,im not sure if it is Denzel they dont have faith in,it's more Fuqua but again i do find it a double standard in this case given the juaxtaposition of The Departed

Oh there's definitely a double standard here, but also maybe, just maybe, waryness given Fuqua's last directorial outing, King Aurthur, which didn't do too well. Still you'd think they'd look at Denzel being the big name that he is, and the fact that it was the Fuqua-directed Training Day that Denzel carried out a performance that subsequently won him the first Best Actor Oscar for a black actor since Sidney Poitier. That should be enough clout, but clearly, something else is keeping the film from being made.

 

[MJB]

Oh there's definitely a double standard here, but also maybe, just maybe, waryness given Fuqua's last directorial outing, King Aurthur, which didn't do too well. Still you'd think they'd look at Denzel being the big name that he is, and the fact that it was the Fuqua-directed Training Day that Denzel carried out a performance that subsequently won him the first Best Actor Oscar for a black actor since Sidney Poitier. That should be enough clout, but clearly, something else is keeping the film from being made.

Denzil is cool, but to old for BP.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Denzil is cool, but to old for BP.

I dont think you read the full convo,we wernt talking about BP,we were talking about Tru Blu

 

[comic book girl]

Uh...Angela Bassett comes to mind pretty quickly. And there have been a lot of other suggestions. But I for one didn't think Halle was too bad. But she wasn't particularly great either.

I didn't mean for the acting. I have said Angela Bassett before and I got ridiculed.

 

[spider-jide]

Marvel and Paramount are definately making it but Willis isnt cast,Arad said he is interested but no deal has been signed yet

Oh, thanks for clearing that up.