Joe Corallo: Iron First – Lose / Lose
Last week news broke that Marvel Entertainment has cast Finn Jones to play Iron Fist in their Netflix series slated for 2017. Jones is a blonde haired, blue eyed, straight cis white man and despite playing a character that in the comics would also match that description, this was also looked to as a chance for Marvel to cast differently as the character of Iron Fist appropriates heavily from Asian cultures. So, basically, this was a lose/lose casting situation for Marvel, and Marvel chose to lose.
To me the real question is not why they cast the way they did. My question is, why are they making an Iron Fist show at all? Sure, part of this is me being flip, but I’m also trying to make a valid point.
For those unfamiliar with Iron Fist, here’s a quick background. Iron Fist, a.k.a. Danny Rand, was created in 1974 by comic book legends Roy Thomas and Gil Kane. His primary ability is being a master of martial arts, but he also has some additional powers including an ability to concentrate his chi in his fist, which gives him his name. The character was heavily influenced by the early-mid 70s interest in martial arts in Western culture – even Jon Pertwee as The Doctor practiced a form of Aikido. Iron Fist started in the pages of Marvel Premiere, later getting his own title, then joining up with Luke Cage a.k.a. Power Man. After his “death” in Power Man and Iron Fist #125 in 1986, Iron Fist would fade in and out of the Marvel Universe, occasionally getting his own solo series again, most notably a run in the mid-2000s written by Matt Fraction. Oh, and like most other characters created at Marvel from 1974 and before, he’s a straight cis white man.
In hindsight, it’s easy to see how Iron Fist was problematic. Not only is this a character that appropriates Asian cultures, he’s been written and drawn almost exclusively by straight cis white men. Larry Hama has contributed to the character, but he’s one of the rare exceptions. Yes, I completely understand that Iron Fist is a white man, but maybe if you’re going to appropriate a culture you should have some input from people in that culture.
Iron Fist will be, if everything goes according to plan, the fourth solo Marvel Entertainment Netflix series. We’ll have had two seasons of Daredevil, a season of Jessica Jones, and a season of Luke Cage before Iron Fist has his own show. Maybe he’ll show up in Luke Cage. So why are people upset? Why does Iron Fist just seem like a bad idea now?
The primary reason for me, and maybe a lot of you out there who also aren’t thrilled by the prospect of an Iron Fist show, is the lack of diversity casting. Not because Iron Fist should have been cast different, but because he we don’t need an Iron Fist show. The TV shows have a much larger audience than the comics. And often a much different audience.
The people who have been enjoying the Marvel Netflix series, and even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been watching Marvel move towards more diversity. Daredevil featured a straight cis white man, but Jessica Jones was about a straight cis white woman and Luke Cage a straight cis black man. Having them go back to a straight cis white man lead after this comes off as a step backwards to many in the audience, and rightfully so.
Fans of the comics can yell from the rooftops until they’re blue in the face. They can point out how Iron Fist/Danny Rand has always been a straight cis white guy. They can call out people for being casual fans and criticizing them for having never read an Iron Fist comic. All of that misses the point. Marvel Entertainment on TV has been giving off the impression to its viewers that they care about diversity, and to many viewers out there this is a move against the expectations that Marvel has set up and a betrayal to an audience that expects more.
Some people may be thinking to themselves who else could Marvel have even picked. Didn’t Marvel Entertainment have to make an Iron Fist show if they wanted to do The Defenders? The answer is a resounding no. In all of Marvel’s TV and movie adaptations they don’t always follow the comics that closely. Sometimes they don’t follow them at all. If they did, the first Avengers movie wouldn’t have had Captain America, Hawkeye, or Black Widow in it, the first X-Men movie would not have had Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Mystique, and many others. Black Widow in particular was added to Avengers because of Joss Whedon’s instance to have more representation after all.
Marvel has many, many characters to consider instead of Iron Fist. In a conversation I had with fellow ComicMix columnist Molly Jackson, she suggested why not Moon Knight? What about Dakota North? Monica Rambeau? Squirrel Girl? Or the incredibly obvious choice of Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel? It doesn’t matter if these characters were in The Defenders or not, they could still just as easily be in the team. Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, Agent Carter, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage all show Marvel’s willingness to use lesser known properties in a different medium to give them new life and a larger audience. Why not also use that strategy to expand other characters profiles to expand representation rather than adding yet another straight cis white guy to the mix? Marvel could still even just add Iron Fist to Luke Cage, just as Luke Cage had a big role in Jessica Jones. Iron Fist doesn’t need his own series for that.
Some will write this off as overzealous social justice warriors that just don’t understand comic properties and are searching out the next trivial cause to latch themselves onto. That is not what’s happening. What we’re seeing, as far as I can tell, is backlash to a tone deaf company that’s expanding its audience reach and not following through with the unspoken promise of better representing the audience that people like Joss Whedon worked hard to cultivate for them.
Interesting points and all well-said, Joe. But as an Iron Fist fan from the beginning, I’m just thrilled to see the character onscreen, and happy that they seem to be staying close to source the material. Maybe it is a #MarvelSoWhite /#OscarsSoWhite issue, I don’t know. But still…. the fish-out-of-water cultural elements were always an integral part of the character’s story.
At what point to we stop re writing the gender and race of characters in film, TV, literature and comics?
If you want an Asian martial arts expert – create an Asian martial arts expert. Don’t re write Iron Fist. Why make Nick Fury African American in the MCU (although Nick Jr is black in the comics which I’m totally cool with). Why make Thor a woman? Why does Idris Elba need to be the next James Bond? Because writers today lack the imagination to create new characters that represent what they want. I believe there is some liberal slanting to make the characters in thier image- who wouldn’t want to. BUT I believe it is shear laziness on thier part and lack of creativity.
Why can’t Sony kill James Bond and promote a man of color to replace him? Isn’t Elba a good enough actor to develop his own character to take over for a nacissitic, womanizing alcoholic killer? I will not pay to see Elba as James Bond- it was bad enough Craig was a blond. I will pay to see Elba as a black british assasin should he be given a role other than Bond. I think he is one of the finest actors and he deserves better.
At the same time with Iron Fist- why is sticking with a second rate character’s race not ok. If nobody cares for the guy- kill him off and write a new character- just don’t recycle someone else’s work.
I agree with these points. And I would just add this:
Joe Corallo said: The primary reason for me, and maybe a lot of you out there who also aren’t thrilled by the prospect of an Iron Fist show, is the lack of diversity casting. Not because Iron Fist should have been cast different, but because he we don’t need an Iron Fist show.
We don’t need a column by Joe Corallo every week either, (especially since the theme is alway the same), but we get one anyway.
Thanks for the comment, George! I appreciate you reading the article. And it’s true, nobody NEEDS my column, but I’m trying to do something positive with my time and energy and I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from people, including under represented groups which I also fall under, about how they appreciate someone talking about these issues. I apologize if my column isn’t helpful to you and what your interests are, and I hope that many of the other columns on this site are more to your interest.
Thanks for the comment, Jack! I never said they shouldn’t have kept him white, but Marvel has plenty of characters to pick from and deciding on another straight cis white guy when they could be promote another kind of character would only benefit Marvel.
Point taken Joe. I was addressing the broader conversation- not just your column.
I do agree with your question- Why make an Iron First at all? I don’t agree with all of your points, but I do most of them.
BTW- thank you for responding in the manner you did. To many bloggers and posters have no respect for other opinions- your approach goes against the grain.
No problem! I don’t always get the notifications so something if I don’t respond it’s because of that.
Patience, marvel hasnt mis-stepped yet
Thanks for the comment, Dennis! I don’t know if I’d flat out say that Marvel hasn’t mis-stepped yet myself. Between a few public fall outs with Directors including Joss Whedon, multiple instances of characters like Black Widow not being represented in the toys (even scenes she’s in being replaced by other characters), movies like Ant-Man that while still being successful at the box office did under perform from previous Marvel outings. That being said, Marvel does tend to have a better handling of PR than DC in many of these instances, and Marvel has been leading the pack in term of record breaking films.
I’m Asian and living in Asia. Also a massive comicbook fan. As much as I would love to see an Asian superhero in the Netflix series, I don’t want to see Marvel cast an Asian just for the sake of casting an Asian. It cheapens us to be honest and its quite frankly an insult. I want to see an Asian cast because the character in the comics IS Asian and not because Marvel is crumbling under the pressure of SJW.
Most of the people who are complaining about Iron Fist have ABSOLUTELY no idea who the character is. Danny is a rich, entitled white kid who goes on a journey to discover himself and earn his powers. Part of Danny’s identity is this sense that he doesn’t belong and has a need to belong. There’s the reason why Matt, Danny, Luke and Jessica in the comics gravitate to each other. Its because in a lot of ways they’re family. There are plenty of great Asian characters. I for one would be excited to see new Daredevil ally Samuel Chung aka Blindspot in the Netflix series.
Thanks for the comment! And absolutely, I don’t necessarily think they should be pressured to change a character like that, but they’ve done it plenty of times already (Nick Fury, Jeri Hogarth, Johnny Storm) so it’s not as if it’s something they haven’t done in the past. There are great Asian characters that could be used so why not give them a shot?
Joe, if you believe that casting an Asian or black actor as a character who has always been Caucasian, or making a character who has always been straight gay (regardless of the sexuality of the actor who portrays them(, or casting a character who as always been female as male (or vice-versa) is always (or even most often) a step forward for “diversity” – you are naive.
You should know as well as i that such decisions are based almost exclusively on what will work most effectively in the marketplace to (as someone – Jerry Dela Femina? – said) sell us a load of clams.
Casting Iron Fist as Asian would be the exact equivalent of killing Superman … except that it wouldn’t make as much money or get as much publicity.
Hollywood/the entertainment industry in general does not exist to make polemical programming that uplifts the discourse and raises the consciousness of the Great Unwashed – it exists to sell us those clams.
As soon as the studios perceive that there is an actual mass audience for “diversity” we won’t be able to escape having it crammed down our throats.
Until then? Nope. And all your kicking against the pricks will not change one thing.
A further thing – it’s manymany years since i read Iron Fist’s origin, and almost as many as i read a story featuring the character – but wasn’t it a specific element of the character’s origin and a plot point that he was Caucasian?
Thanks for the comments, Mike! That has been a specific element of the character’s origin and a plot point in the comics, yes. We all see how the TV and movie adaptations tend to wildly change elements of these characters, and if the audience that they’re garnering is one that is looking for more diversity, then Iron Fist is probably not the best choice for that is what I’m getting at.