Trans Superhero

[mushroom25]

Marvel to unveil transgender superhero for a forthcoming film:-
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-50970519

whilst there's no shortage of Trans actors (105 actresses, 14 actors), I personally have only heard of one of them - Holly Woodlawn (as in "Holly Came from Miami FLA" in Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side) - and willing to bet few would be considered bankable box office names.

…...or is it OK for Trans characters to be played by bankable Non-Trans stars?

[youngmafbog]

Hmm, woke vs profits.

I wonder which will win in the end?

[ToraToraTora]

Perlease!

[Mamyalynne]

Interesting.

//Marvel has also said it will introduce its first deaf superhero in The Eternals and its first Asian-American superhero, in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.//

[jim360]

Profits will win, which is why the films are getting increasingly "woke".

[Zacs-Master]

Of course it is. If movie (or any other) actors could only play 'true' roles the cinema industry would be an even stranger place than it already is.

[Togo]

Trans "superheros". Bless.

Are there any plans to introduce a few trans villains or criminals?

[jim360]

It's well-known that superheroes can only be cisgendered heterosexuals, and usually only white people at that.

[youngmafbog]

"Profits will win, which is why the films are getting increasingly "woke"."

If the demographic of the Box Office is predominately young then maybe. But films also have to be sold outside of the cinema circuit to make them pay, the demographic there is likely to be very different. Probably also depends on the genre of the film.

Link I say it will be interesting to see. (I have no predisposition)

[youngmafbog]

//and usually only white people at that.//

Seven posts in and the race card is played. Hmmmm.

[jim360]

I love the Marvel movies, all of them, and I don't have problems with their choice of casting. All I'm saying is that there's something rich about complaining about attempts to make the central cast more diverse.

[Togo]

Mind you that "penguin" bloke whatsit was a bit indeterminate.(if you like that sort of thing)Perhaps after all that was the first trans villain.

[jim360]

// ... I don't have problems with their choice of casting. //

Actually that's not entirely true -- I am glad that they chose Don Cheadle to replace Terrence Howard as War Machine, and Mark Ruffalo as Hulk in favour of Ed Norton.

[mushroom25]

//and usually only white people at that. //

really Jim?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_black_superheroes#Movies

if the comic book world is included, the list is far more extensive than that.

[ToraToraTora]

What does "woke" mean in this discussion? I've seen it a few times of late, I assume it's another new word using an old word to mean something completely different.

[jim360]

Yes, really. That list doesn't undermine the point when it's dwarfed by the equivalent list of superheroes who aren't black.

Still, my main point is at 13:28. There's nothing wrong with increasing the diversity of the Marvel cast, especially after a decade of success, and it's therefore a surprise to see people kick up a fuss when that's what happens.

[jim360]

"woke" = aware of societal injustices, particularly (but not exclusively) racism. I'm no longer sure if it's meant seriously or ironically.

[Togo]

Woke = Painfully, stridently and usually very frequently very aware TTT.

[youngmafbog]

I think these days it has evolved to simply

"aware of perceived societal injustices".

[douglas9401]

Or 'I have a new stick to beat you with'.

[jim360]

I was debating whether or not to add "perceived" myself, ymb. Perhaps "perceived or actual" is the most neutral and accurate.