Would you accept Naomi Scott as Kamala Khan?

[MasterCat]

Actress Naomi Scott is a half-South Asian actress from the UK whose Hollywood career had a rough start with a Power Rangers reboot but is set to become a Disney star in the Aladdin remake. At 3 years older than Tom Holland, would you accept her playing the role of Kamala Khan, or should they cast an unknown who's 18-20 during filming so the character remains 16 rather than college-aged?

EDIT: the poll is up.

 

[Silvermoth]

I wouldn’t kick off but I would love to see someone a bit less glamorous and more teenagery and klutzy

 

[Abudefduf]

Scott as Kamala Khan would be one of the worst castings in the history of comic book movies.

 

[2kt09]

Doesn't make much sense since Kamala's usually this dorky-looking type.

 

[Dark Raven]

Actress Naomi Scott is a half-South Asian actress from the UK whose Hollywood career had a rough start with a Power Rangers reboot but is set to become a Disney star in the Aladdin remake. At 3 years older than Tom Holland, would you accept her playing the role of Kamala Khan, or should they cast an unknown who's 18-20 during filming so the character remains 16 rather than college-aged?

(I mis-clicked attempting to create a poll. If a mod could help me with a simple Yes/No poll edit, that would be nice.)

I would, because I'd love to see her in the MCU. She looks young, and given that she is part Asian, that keeps her even younger looking for longer. In Homecoming, they had Laura Harrier who is 28 play one of Peter's high school friends and love interest.

I think you can edit your post to create a poll.

Doesn't make much sense since Kamala's usually this dorky-looking type.

Well, they made Zendaya look dorky and frumpy looking when she's normally much more glamorous, so they can do the same with Naomi.

 

[Fincher]

I would, but then I have no preexisting attachment to Kamala, so yeah.

 

[Abudefduf]

Where's the "F**k no she's the wrong age and ethnicity and looks nothing like Kamala, what is this blasphemy?" option.

 

[2kt09]

Well, they made Zendaya look dorky and frumpy looking when she's normally much more glamorous, so they can do the same with Naomi.

That's too apathetic. Was thinking more in the ballpark of a South Asian Squirrel Girl-type.

 

[Dark Raven]

Where's the "F**k no she's the wrong age and ethnicity and looks nothing like Kamala, what is this blasphemy?" option.

You mean like how other comic characters have been age or race swapped and look nothing like the comic version?

 

[Abudefduf]

You mean like how other comic characters have been age or race swapped and look nothing like the comic version?

This time it would be different. Kamala Khan is a completely unique character, just like T'Challa. Change one of the core aspect of her character and people (me included, dammit) will ask for Feige's head. I'm not joking, the backlash would be immense.

 

[MasterCat]

What's the ethnic core of her character? I know both parents are supposed to be some kind of Pakistani, but she also got Inhuman genes from one of them? But the Terrigen mists only affect her and not the parent? It's confusing (thanks, Ike).

 

[Marvel united]

Naomi is completely wrong for this part. She's a talented actress so let her be an X-Man

 

[Abudefduf]

What's the ethnic core of her character? I know both parents are supposed to be some kind of Pakistani, but she also got Inhuman genes from one of them? But the Terrigen mists only affect her and not the parent? It's confusing (thanks, Ike).

Her parents are Pakistani but she's American born.

As for the Inhuman genes, I have absolutely no idea how they work and I don't care enough to find out. All I can tell you is that she's the only Inhuman in her family. At one point her brother was exposed to the Terrigen mist but the powers he gained were only temporary.

 

[Fallen]

Kamala Khan is a 16-year-old Pakistani-American from New Jersey.

NO to Naomi Scott.

 

[MasterCat]

Kamala Khan is a 16-year-old Pakistani-American from New Jersey.

But if only "pure-blood" Pakistanis born in the United States after, say, January 2000 are allowed to play her, they're much less likely to find good actresses.

 

[Dark Raven]

They can make Kamala Khan an Indian-American (not American Indian - that's something different) instead of Pakistani-American.

In the original Star Trek, Sulu was Japanese. In the films, he was played by John Cho, who is South Korean. He's not even the right nationality. Cho argued that he represented all Asians via his ethnicity, rather than having to be specifically Japanese.

The same could be said of Naomi Scott being of Indian rather than Pakistani descent. It's not like they're making her white.

As for whether she's 16 in the comics, well Hank Pym is not 70 in the comics, yet they changed his age. Molly Hayes is only about 9 or 10 and she's white in Runaways, but they made her about 14 and Hispanic in the TV series.

 

[MasterCat]

They can make Kamala Khan an Indian-American (not American Indian - that's something different) instead of Pakistani-American.

In the original Star Trek, Sulu was Japanese. In the films, he was played by John Cho, who is South Korean. He's not even the right nationality. Cho argued that he represented all Asians via his ethnicity, rather than having to be specifically Japanese.

Eh? It seems really unnecessary to change a character's ethnicity because you cast someone whose heritage is from the country next door. Actors should be allowed a little latitude.
Whether she's too old or glamorous (or a bad actor) should be a bigger issue.

 

[2kt09]

Eh? It seems really unnecessary to change a character's ethnicity because you cast someone whose heritage is from the country next door. Actors should be allowed a little latitude.
Whether she's too old or glamorous (or a bad actor) should be a bigger issue.

Folks overseas still don't care nearly as much as we do. They'll do just that anyways because they know how interchangeable that is so long as they're outfitted differently. They'll occasionally speak with an accent or the other language.

 

[Lilbaz]

India has one of the biggest film industries in the world. Britain and america have may actors of asian decent, i'm sure they can find somebody that has the right look who is talented enough to do the job.

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

sorry, but no. Kamala's heritage and age are too important parts of her character to mess around with it. You change one of those aspects and you change the character completely

 

[Abudefduf]

^ Yep.

Disney auditioned over 1000 actors in order to find the right Irish kid to play Artemis Fowl in their upcoming adaptation of the book. Kamala Khan deserves the same treatment.

They can make Kamala Khan an Indian-American (not American Indian - that's something different) instead of Pakistani-American.

In the original Star Trek, Sulu was Japanese. In the films, he was played by John Cho, who is South Korean. He's not even the right nationality. Cho argued that he represented all Asians via his ethnicity, rather than having to be specifically Japanese.

The same could be said of Naomi Scott being of Indian rather than Pakistani descent. It's not like they're making her white.

As for whether she's 16 in the comics, well Hank Pym is not 70 in the comics, yet they changed his age. Molly Hayes is only about 9 or 10 and she's white in Runaways, but they made her about 14 and Hispanic in the TV series.

No offense, man, but what you're doing is asking for a beloved character to be changed beyond recognition just so that the role can go to an actress you like. Also, have you considered just how much abuse Scott would have to endure if she accepted the job? Because, unfortunately, that's exactly what would happen.

 

[Dark Raven]

^ Yep.

Disney auditioned over 1000 actors in order to find the right Irish kid to play Artemis Fowl in their upcoming adaptation of the book. Kamala Khan deserves the same treatment.

No offense, man, but what you're doing is asking for a beloved character to be changed beyond recognition just so that the role can go to an actress you like. Also, have you considered just how much abuse Scott would have to endure if she accepted the job? Because, unfortunately, that's exactly what would happen.

Isn't that what JJ Abrams did with Sulu in Star Trek though? Was him being Japanese not integral to his character? He was played by John Cho who is South Korean. He's also been changed to a gay character, even when George Takei (who is gay in real life) thought that he shouldn't be changed but should be straight, as he was in the original.

And have audiences ultimately spewed hatred on John Cho or thought that his interpretation of Sulu is so radically different as to be changed beyond recognition? Don't people still see him as Sulu?

Unless you think it only counts when it comes to blacks, Indian/Pakistani, middle eastern etc, but not for different types of Asians?

 

[HBarnill]

She’s white. Regardless of her ancestry, her skin is still white. For example: Johnny Depp has African ancestry. Doesn’t mean he should play Martin Luther King.

 

[Dark Raven]

She’s white. Regardless of her ancestry, her skin is still white. For example: Johnny Depp has African ancestry. Doesn’t mean he should play Martin Luther King.

She's not white.

Are you telling me she looks like a typical English Caucasian?

She's brown, and still looks like she has Indian background. And no, I didn't go searching just to find the perfect image on Google to illustrate my point. This was the very first image that came up in a search. Her other images are similar too.

She's certainly browner than someone like Amy Jackson, whom Bollywood keeps getting to play Indian characters in their movies, even though she is actually white and has no Indian background at all.

Why didn't Marvel get a real Russian to play Black Widow instead of Scarlett Johansson? Isn't that fundamentally changing who she is? She doesn't even look Slavic. Is there a shortage of Russian actresses? No-one seems to mind or are protesting there.

 

[Silver Surfer]

I think their will be tremendous backlash if the first Muslim superhero isn't portrayed by a Muslim actress, so no.