[Discussion] movies and race changes

[chopstickchakra]

Now before this gets started it is not my intention to start some racial debate, but to bring up a point that I found interesting. So please, let's do our best at hiding our worst for a little bit.

So, the question:

Why when Hollywood reboots a character with a new race is it always African American?

I'll be honest I usually get bent out of shape over stuff like that, but it's usually only the situations where it serves no real purpose other than pandering. However, there are a few situations where it doesn't matter to me like Ben Urich in Marvel's Daredevil and sometimes when it makes it better like Michael Clark Duncan as Kingpin in the movie Daredevil or Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury.

So why is Hollywood only choosing African American as the new race for characters? Why didn't we get Asian Annie instead of Black Annie? Why didn't we get a Puerto Rican Honeymooners? Why didn't we get a Arabian Johnny Storm?
And why is it you make a joke about how T'Challa should be played by Mark Wahlberg and everybody cries racism? If I was one of the other races I'd start getting a little upset about it.

 

[TheAncientCenturion]

Could be because they found better actors, better actors for a budget, or they're hoping a certain actor who happens to be black will increase box office hits. Same reason why the violent, loud, Samuel L Jackson played a reserved and quiet Jedi in Star Wars over so many better black actors at the time. His name focking sells.

 

[Punk Hazard]

why is it you make a joke about how T'Challa should be played by Mark Wahlberg

I'm pretty sure you'll hear cries of plain stupidity over cries of racism for this.

 

[-immortal-]

They're better actoes?

 

[Punk Hazard]

They're better actoes?

This. You have no idea how the casting calls and auditions went. Unless you know for a fact that they listed "We want black people auditioning only", then this isn't a good question.

 

[Callypigia]

Could be because they found better actors, better actors for a budget, or they're hoping a certain actor who happens to be black will increase box office hits. Same reason why the violent, loud, Samuel L Jackson played a reserved and quiet Jedi in Star Wars over so many better black actors at the time. His name focking sells.

Nick Nolte would have made an amazing Nick Fury. Some fat Italian like James Gandolfini would have made a great Kingpin too (He was alive when that movie came out). I bet both of them would have been cheaper than Samuel L. Jackson. I agree though; his name sells. I think U.S. culture is saturated with political correctness. Would they have cast Ben Affleck as Blade? Probably not, and probably shouldn't. It falls under artistic license for the director to change the original creator's image. Hollywood is completely motivated by a fear of offending people and statistics/money. Indie films are the best these days.

Who else would they have picked for Mace Windu? Forrest Whitaker? Sidney Poitier? Morgan Freeman? Sadly most of the great black actors are getting too old. Honestly there aren't a lot of good young actors of any race in Hollywood right now. At the Oscars it was mostly English/Australian people.

 

[Chīkara]

Majority of the actors is either black or white.

 

[Adam Driver]

As long as the movie is good then I see no problem, diversity is good.
The only thing I'm 100% against is Miles Morales. The real Spider-Man is Peter Parker.
But I can guarantee Disney will milk his shit story into cinema.

 

[Konomarii]

Honestly, I think Hollywood doesn't care about racism. They want names that sell. That's why they cast Batman as Mozes, instead of someone who actually looks like a North-African. The most famous actors are mostly from either cacausian or African races.

 

[paratise]

They don't even make Easterns act Easterns for the most part, they are easier to whitewash. And blacks have harsher history than other minorities by mainstream knowledge, and mainstream knowledge tends to disregard other groups' problems. So the racial representation of black gets more public attention, which they would want.

Not from Hollywood but didn't Elemantary casted Lucy Liu as Dr Watson who was originally a British man as character? Also (not movies) new Ms Marvel is Pakistani, but she was originally Western white as Carol Denvers.

 

[Melanin]

I really can't wait for that Black Panther (T'challa) Movie.

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[chopstickchakra]

I'm pretty sure you'll hear cries of plain stupidity over cries of racism for this.

You'd be surprised what people would rather complain about. Granted I did go out of my way to pick the cheesiest action actor I could think of to make an exaggerated point, but people get very defensive and quick to attack when you suggest a black role should be remade and played by a new ethnicity especially if you suggest a white actor. Look at the trouble they gave Exodus for using an all white cast when it was set in Egypt. And god forbid you should suggest remaking roots to focus on the Chinese slaves, Native slaves or The Irish indentured servants who, while not treated as poorly as all slaves, were still treated pretty shitty.

As for the better actor that's not always the case, in fact Centurion was right when he said the names sell. Most Producers don't care about who will best bring the role to life they worry more about who they think the audience wants to watch more. Granted in some instances they probably are the best actor for the role like Denzel Washington in the Man on Fire reboot.

I really can't wait for that Black Panther (T'challa) Movie.

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With the way Marvel's been progressing with each release I have high hopes for this. I really really hope they get a good fight choreographer, I suggest the Netflix Daredevil team.

 

[Funky Tiger]

Majority of the actors is either black or white.

the new uchiha dude literally looks like a poorly drawn onion emoji

 

[chopstickchakra]

They don't even make Easterns act Easterns for the most part, they are easier to whitewash. And blacks have harsher history than other minorities by mainstream knowledge, and mainstream knowledge tends to disregard other groups' problems. So the racial representation of black gets more public attention, which they would want.

Not from Hollywood but didn't Elemantary casted Lucy Liu as Dr Watson who was originally a British man as character? Also (not movies) new Ms Marvel is Pakistani, but she was originally Western white as Carol Denvers.

True about Liu and the Ms. Marvel thing, isn't exactly the same since it's a new character it's not as if they rebooted Carol Danvers into being pakistani like DC did with Wally West in the new 52(for those who don't know, Wally West the Flash was a white character for close to 40 years, then in the new 52 relaunch they for no explained reason decided Wally should be black now)

 

[Kurama Uchiha]

What some of you fail to realize mainstream media has been white dominated since the beginning, on top of that black roles seem to be extremely limited to certain character types while whites are free to play anything. I don't anyone bring up the fact that magneto and professor x was based off two black people. If anything they should have been black or shit at least one, but a majority of these stories were written when black people were still seen as villians and bad people. So for you to fail to realize this is utter ****ary. On top of that every movie about Egyptians is played by white people or Arabs but they're actually black, in an effort to be historically accurate I would hope they made the actors black but they didn't.

 

[Jazzy Stardust]

Well I'm pretty sure I read that they are planning on using the Hispanic Spiderman for the next reboot.

 

[Punk Hazard]

You'd be surprised what people would rather complain about. Granted I did go out of my way to pick the cheesiest action actor I could think of to make an exaggerated point, but people get very defensive and quick to attack when you suggest a black role should be remade and played by a new ethnicity especially if you suggest a white actor. Look at the trouble they gave Exodus for using an all white cast when it was set in Egypt. And god forbid you should suggest remaking roots to focus on the Chinese slaves, Native slaves or The Irish indentured servants who, while not treated as poorly as all slaves, were still treated pretty shitty.

As for the better actor that's not always the case, in fact Centurion was right when he said the names sell. Most Producers don't care about who will best bring the role to life they worry more about who they think the audience wants to watch more. Granted in some instances they probably are the best actor for the role like Denzel Washington in the Man on Fire reboot.

Yeah I'm sure you've been a part of so many Hollywood productions and casting calls so you know

 

[TheAncientCenturion]

Nick Nolte would have made an amazing Nick Fury. Some fat Italian like James Gandolfini would have made a great Kingpin too (He was alive when that movie came out). I bet both of them would have been cheaper than Samuel L. Jackson. I agree though; his name sells. I think U.S. culture is saturated with political correctness. Would they have cast Ben Affleck as Blade? Probably not, and probably shouldn't. It falls under artistic license for the director to change the original creator's image. Hollywood is completely motivated by a fear of offending people and statistics/money. Indie films are the best these days.

Who else would they have picked for Mace Windu? Forrest Whitaker? Sidney Poitier? Morgan Freeman? Sadly most of the great black actors are getting too old. Honestly there aren't a lot of good young actors of any race in Hollywood right now. At the Oscars it was mostly English/Australian people.

I agree on the political correctness, but I think it's more with Hollywood trying to pander to everyone they can. If you're making a SYFY movie, typically not something most people enjoy or there's already a set demographic for them, you'll try to branch out. Like with Samuel L Jackon, casting him gets you a whole new set of people in theory. At the very least, people who enjoy action movies or just Sam's acting in general might be willing to give Star Wars a shot, now that a familiar face is in it. I'm just sticking to that one because, well, it's the most out-there situation I can recall. @Bold Oh God, Ben Affleck. . . After DareDevil, I'm surprised he's still getting work. Let's hope he doesn't kill Batman off, after the Nolan trilogy, which was mostly good.

I'd of preferred any of them over Sam, honestly. Mace was portrayed to be a wise Jedi, a wise character is not something Sam pulls off too well. I think any of those choices could of done it, bar one or two fight scenes, most of the movie was flat and filmed on a green screen.

 

[chopstickchakra]

Yeah I'm sure you've been a part of so many Hollywood productions and casting calls so you know

32 as of Tuesday but I just started in February.