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The word is Marvel is looking at Asian and white actors for the Iron fist show, but isn’t it possible that Marvel will use Iron Fist to introduce Shang Chi, just as they used the jessica joines show to introduce Luke Cage?

At this point, I think too many people have put way too much value on the decision Marvel goes. The arguments and reasoning for people’s preference (those who have one as there are fans who have none at all and are just hoping for a great actor to take on the role) are understandable and have me nodding and listening and learning.

Having said that, a lot of people are going to be unhappy with whatever is decided. This is quite a deficit for the individual who will be chosen to be Iron Fist and that’s where I find things to be rather dismal.

“When Marvel and DC Comics hear cries for diversification, their first instinct is to turn to legacy characters like Red Wolf and Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu.”

Marvel’s first reaction to calls for diversity was Miles Morales, black Nick Fury, Sam Wilson Cap, Lady Thor, Muslim Ms. Marvel, Korean Hulk, the list goes on. Marvel changed their entire first string team long before they fell back on 4th string nobodies like Red Wolf or Master of Kung-Fu.

DC on the other hand pulled out Flipper Dipper.

This article and writer is stupid. Having an asian american as a lead actor for Iron Fist would be a significant step forward. There is nothing wrong with perpetuating the martial arts stereotype – it’s not a negative stereotype per say. Is it wrong to cast a black man as a lead in a basketball film? I don’t think so. Having some sort of representation is better than not being represented at all. I am completely apalled at the fact that the writer would rather prefer not seeing an asian in the media than having him assume the role of a protagonist and hero.

I appreciate your thoughts in the article Alexander. I think conversations like this are important. I understand the concern of pigeonholing Asian actors into martial arts roles. I also appreciate you saying that more Asian comic book characters need to be created. However, I disagree that casting an Asian-American Iron Fist would be a negative.

There are ways to nuance an Asian-American Iron Fist. I read Ching’s article as well and I think he was reductionistic in making Danny Rand only a simple martial arts hero. An Asian-American Fist can still have depth and be more than Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee.

1. We can still have the outsider story that so many comic fanboys (of which I consider myself to be one) love. If you make Danny Rand either bi-racial or a 2nd/3rd generation Asian-American, you keep the outsider storyline, but also add layers to it. How many Asian-Americans feel the pull between American culture and Asian culture?

2. An Asian martial arts series by itself isn’t a bad thing. In Chinese cinema martial arts movies are a true art form. It’s part of the heritage of Asian cinema, just like Westerns are a big part of American cinema. Furthermore, you can add layers to the martial arts element. Go watch Rickson Gracie talk about BJJ and how it’s such a transformative tool. The constant practice and failure that goes into learning martial arts could be a great storytelling device if taken beyond the “snatch the pebble from my hand,” cliche.

3. Newer comic book characters don’t get as much pull. Ask anyone who their favorite superhero is. Iron Man? Captain America? Batman (my own favorite)? Flash? Green Lantern (another favorite thanks to Geoff Johns). What do these heroes have in common? They are all well established heroes. Simply creating another hero through comics, that does not have nearly as big an audience as movies, and hoping he or she will become popular is very hard to do. Miles Morales isn’t mainstream enough as seen in the casting of Asa Butterfield for the new Spider-Man and it will be a long time until Amadeus Cho is. Why not use a platform like the Marvel Netflix series, which hit it out of the park with Daredevil and Jessica Jones, and have an Asian Iron Fist?

4. Finally, we see white castings for Asian roles all the time. Scarlett Johannson for “Ghost in a Shell”. Emma Stone in Aloha. Tom Cruise as William Cage in “The Edge of Tomorow,” originally Kiriya Keiji in the novel that the film is based on. In the live-action “Akira” movie, Robert Pattinson was rumored to be Tetsuo and Andrew Garfield was supposed to be Kaneda. Why is the comic book community, a community I love, so abhorred by the idea of an Asian or bi-racial Danny Rand.

I agree with your final statement, that Asians should not be discouraged if Danny Rand is cast as caucasian. But I don’t think having an Asian Iron Fist is as negative as you think.

You know, I would love to see a Jimmy Woo and the Agents of ATLAS movie, or series, or whatever.

“…for the first time ever, The Hulk is going to be…a teenager!”
Second time: Chester Weems was the first, in Crazy Magazine. Hama and Severin, creators?

How soon before Hulk meets the New Avengers?

Hmm. Curious. Does this affect Greg Pak’s work at DC with the Superman books? After years of exclusive contracts from both companies, the possibility that Greg Pak might be working for two companies is more of a surprise to me.

another white male replaced with a faggot/minority who’d guess!

Looks interesting, unlike most of the other Marvel relaunches. Think I’ll give it a try.

fkumarvel: How’s life in the nineteenth century, pally?

This sounds interesting but I really think such story arcs would be better served as a separate miniseries where they would be immune from the horrible events that pop up every 6 months.

Cool. Amadeus Cho is a-okay in my book. Nice to see Pak back on the character. I look forward to finding out who the series’ regular, non-“superstar,” comes-on-board-to-pencil-half-the-fourth-issue-announced artist will be.

This reads like an April Fool’s Joke, like most of the news out of Marvel these days. It seems like a parody of Marvel’s “diversity” revamps.

If Marvel wants a teenage Korean-American superhero, why not create an all-new superhero? Answer: Fans won’t buy anything that doesn’t have an iconic name going back several decades.

Amadeus Cho is almost as contrived a comicbook name as Raito Yagami.