And no one outside of comic book fandom is gonna go for a scene of a rich white woman (Emma Frost), talking down to a brown Muslim girl (Kamala Khan) about oppression.
That’s a fair point, but I also don’t see a reality in which that scene would ever be necessary, or written in such a one-note way?
And, besides, the mutant experience/drama can be written in the MCU to further highlight real world racism/discriminations, in which a conversation between Kamala Khan & Emma would be perfectly acceptable. Emma says she’s discriminated against because she’s a mutant, and Kamala can relate to the receiving end of prejudices but challenges Emma by stating the obvious—that she’s still a rich white woman in a society that typically sees color first.
There can be shades of discrimination within the MCU, just like the real world that can strengthen the overall narrative. Diverse characters, mutant and human alike, and groups like the downtrodden Morlocks or the seemingly-upperclass and privileged at Xavier’s and Massachusetts Academies. All will be important to challenge/ breakdown preconceived notions of oppression & inequality.
I do think that the MCU X-Men will see some characters' racial/ethnic backgrounds changed, but I don't think it'll be nearly as sweeping as some have suggested. Maybe Professor X & Magneto are the most probable casting where there will be a race change, but I still suspect we'll see the traditional Caucasian interpretation of Wolverine, Marvel Girl, & Cyclops (with Scott being the only exception I could potentially see because the character was such a non-starter in the Fox films and has been run through the ringer in the comics for the past decade, and thus could benefit from a bit of reinvention IMO--but even then that's a big maybe).
A character like Quentin Quire I could see him being rewritten for the MCU as a major threat. And he could be any ethnicity (just try keep the pink har lol). And to be fair, any character can be rewritten & reworked, but I see Marvel trying to keep some iconography/imagery amongst some of its more classic characters consistent across its different media.
Rather, I see Marvel additionally pushing minority characters alongside that trio like Storm, Bishop, Iceman, Jubilee, Thunderbird, Armor and/or Forge in the main films. Disney+ properties could further expand upon more diverse X-Men characters like Psylocke, Dust, Northstar, Moonstar, Sunspot, Sunfire, Magma etc. etc. before they're folded back into major films.
On whole, the MCU is becoming much more diverse both onscreen and off. Of course the mutants/X-Men franchise will continue that trend but there will be balance in the adaptations--things that challenge the status quo, and things that honor the source material to the letter. The MCU usually strikes the balance quite well, so I'm inclined to believe the X-Men won't/feel so unfamiliar as some posters are fearing--regardless of some casting.
