So it’s no secret that throughout the history of comicbook superhero films, there hasn’t been much in the way of racial parity. How many ethnic minority groups take centre stage to bring a drug cartel down?
From Keaton to Bale, Downey Jr to Hemsworth, I think it is time for us to broaden our horizons and give the snowflakes something to celebrate.
Black Panther was great, but was it enough?
Okay, Black Panther was awesome, I bet just one in ten would disagree, and that one person is probably hanging out on a porch with a double-barrel shotgun resting on his heaving chest.
But seriously, why did it have to be the Black Panther? Couldn’t it just have been the Panther? Couldn’t they give just one superhero the whole shebang without pointing out that he’s black?
I know what some of you will say here. What about Luke Cage or Falcon? Please, the former will pretty much be forgotten by the time the next Daredevil comes out and take away Falcon’s winged backpack and he’s pretty much just like any one of us. And Cyborg? He was basically walking in Affleck’s shadow in Justice League, so still doesn’t count wiseass.
So yes, Black Panther put Wakanda on the map, painted the glorious continent of Africa in a whole new light, moving away from the stereotypical starving black man in rags and a baby with kwashiorkor, but I think this should be seen more as a stepping stone to racial diversity in comic-book films than a standalone success.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
For those of you who have logged into the internet today (which pretty much means all of you), you may have noticed some noise in the entertainment corner. That’s because Marvel officially released the trailer of their new animated Spider-Man film: into the Spider-Verse. And you know what? It looks awesome.
Set in a world with more than one Spider-Man, it features a young Miles Morales, the son of a cop and a fan of the witty web-slinger, who pursues the path of his machine-gun mouthed idol and dons the suit himself. For those of you who are not aware, Miles Morales is black (or half black, half Hispanic according to the comics), and that’s a massive hurrah for embedded social commentary in a superhero feature.
Characters aside, the animation looks sublime. Beautifully-crafted, comic-style 3D art with dialogue boxes, we get our first glimpse at three different Spideys: Miles, the original, and Gwen Stacey. What stood out for me was a man-child Peter Parker telling Miles to do the whole crime busting thing his way; a subtle hint that this won’t be a whitewashed cinematic piece.
I hate to be picky, but why did it have to be an animated film? Why can’t they give a black man an identity and an alter-ego like they’ve done with all the other characters in the course of history? Call me a snowflake, but racial tension has crept across the seas from the United States, and the race bug has officially bitten me (would that turn me into “racist man”?).
If you didn’t catch the trailer, check it out here now:
