Lack of diversity: Marvel star denounces the “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” films
Andreas Rivera
July 9, 2023 11:25 am
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3 min read
In an interview, Anthony Mackie spoke about his video game adaptation “Twisted Metal” and criticized the “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” films.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is not only the most successful cinematic universe that has ever seen the light of day, but it is also the most exemplary. There are few other film series that have been and continue to be more valuable in terms of diversity, inclusion, and equality both in front of and behind the camera. Whether “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” or “Captain Marvel” would have been made under a different studio than Disney and Marvel Studios is rightfully doubtful. A Chinese superhero as the main character? A female superhero stronger than most male superheroes? A bisexual warrior like Valkyrie? It was hard to imagine before the MCU.
Clearly, Kevin Feige, Marvel President and CCO of Marvel Entertainment, has paved the way for films that, although far from reality in terms of plot, precisely portray an image of reality. Many productions today follow this example and the changed perception. This is in contrast to two of the most successful film series of all time: the “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” films.
For quite some time, these two franchises have faced criticism for their lack of diversity. Fans and supposed fans often defend this by referring to the source material. However, it should be noted that neither Joanne K. Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” books, nor J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the “Lord of the Rings” books and creator of Middle-earth, made specific statements about all characters that would explicitly forbid aiming for a diverse cast. Instead, the portrayal in the respective films was a conscious decision by the responsible filmmakers and studios.
Anthony Mackie: ‘Harry Potter Didn’t Have Any Black Friends’ In an interview with Inverse, Marvel star Anthony Mackie discussed the topic of diversity. Mackie, best known as Sam Wilson aka Falcon from the MCU and set to appear as the new Captain America in the upcoming “Captain America 4: Brave New World,” is also planning his directorial debut with “Spark.” The film tells the true story of Claudette Colvin, who, in 1955 during the era of racial segregation in the United States, refused to give up her bus seat for a white woman when she was just 15 years old. At that time, buses were divided into black (back) and white (front) sections. Everyone was allowed to sit in the middle, but black people had to give up their seats if a white person boarded.
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For Mackie, this presents an opportunity to further promote diversity in Hollywood. He stated:
“Harry Potter didn’t have any black friends. Frodo has traveled all over the universe and never met a black guy. I want to see Frodo in the hood. If I ever do ‘Saturday Night Live,’ this will be my skit.”
The responsible parties have already acknowledged the numerous criticisms, as evidenced by the Amazon series “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power,” which ironically faced similar criticism. The upcoming “Harry Potter” adaptation is also expected to feature more diversity.
Mackie himself will soon be starring in the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation “Twisted Metal,” available on the Peacock streaming service from July 27, 2023, which can be accessed through combo packages from Sky.
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