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defrogComics fans may have heard by now that Marvel Comics is diversifying its character line-up further away from usual White Male Superhero demographic by making Thor a woman and Captain America an African-American.
More specifically, Thor will be replaced by a female character who will wield the Mjölnir (that big hammer that gives Thor his power), and Sam Wilson will replace Steve Rogers as CapAm.
There is much freaking out, both from diehard comics fans and those people who tend to view political correctness as oppression of straight white guys. (O the poor straight white guys!)
At least I assume so. I haven’t really looked. But there usually is. Maybe there’s not as much freaking out over CapAm, if only because Wilson has been CapAm before. In fact, so have around 19 other people at one point or another (around half of them official, the rest imposters).
Come to think of it, there have also been alternate Thors, some of them women. Even Steve Rogers was Thor for a bit. So really, the current changes are a case of history repeating.
However, as Wired has pointed out, that will probably also include a return to the status quo. Marvel can talk all it wants about the importance of diversity – and this is true – but the fact of the matter is that the Marvel Universe™ (and the DC Universe® for that matter) is designed so that editors can make changes like this, and change them back if it results in dropped sales. And both publishers have a history of doing just that, whether its costume changes or killing off characters.
Which really makes the CapAm/Thor changes another gimmick, rather than any concerted effort to diversify the roster.
As someone who isn’t really a fan of either character, I admit I don’t have a horse in this race. I will say I don’t object to the changes. I’d just think if Marvel really wants more diversity in its line-up, I'd rather it create new characters who can build their own identities.
On the other hand, I’m fully aware how hard it is to do that from a purely business perspective. Marvel is first and foremost a business, and if new titles/characters don’t sell as well as the marquee names, they get dropped (albeit sometimes with good reason). So realistically, I suppose, the most expedient way is to repurpose oldintellectual property characters. Except then the fans complain. Unless you start an alternate universe …
That said, even with those limitations, Marvel does seem to be somewhat better at it than DC, or at least more willing to take risks just to see how fans react.
Either way, it’s really indicative of the problems inherent in the comics empires that Marvel and DC have built for themselves. Their ability to innovate is limited to the point that they can’t diversify easily, even though their demographics have diversified considerably.
Of course, there’s always comic books published by companies other than Marvel or DC. But c’mon, no one reads those.
Changes aren't permanent but change is,
This is dF
More specifically, Thor will be replaced by a female character who will wield the Mjölnir (that big hammer that gives Thor his power), and Sam Wilson will replace Steve Rogers as CapAm.
There is much freaking out, both from diehard comics fans and those people who tend to view political correctness as oppression of straight white guys. (O the poor straight white guys!)
At least I assume so. I haven’t really looked. But there usually is. Maybe there’s not as much freaking out over CapAm, if only because Wilson has been CapAm before. In fact, so have around 19 other people at one point or another (around half of them official, the rest imposters).
Come to think of it, there have also been alternate Thors, some of them women. Even Steve Rogers was Thor for a bit. So really, the current changes are a case of history repeating.
However, as Wired has pointed out, that will probably also include a return to the status quo. Marvel can talk all it wants about the importance of diversity – and this is true – but the fact of the matter is that the Marvel Universe™ (and the DC Universe® for that matter) is designed so that editors can make changes like this, and change them back if it results in dropped sales. And both publishers have a history of doing just that, whether its costume changes or killing off characters.
Which really makes the CapAm/Thor changes another gimmick, rather than any concerted effort to diversify the roster.
As someone who isn’t really a fan of either character, I admit I don’t have a horse in this race. I will say I don’t object to the changes. I’d just think if Marvel really wants more diversity in its line-up, I'd rather it create new characters who can build their own identities.
On the other hand, I’m fully aware how hard it is to do that from a purely business perspective. Marvel is first and foremost a business, and if new titles/characters don’t sell as well as the marquee names, they get dropped (albeit sometimes with good reason). So realistically, I suppose, the most expedient way is to repurpose old
That said, even with those limitations, Marvel does seem to be somewhat better at it than DC, or at least more willing to take risks just to see how fans react.
Either way, it’s really indicative of the problems inherent in the comics empires that Marvel and DC have built for themselves. Their ability to innovate is limited to the point that they can’t diversify easily, even though their demographics have diversified considerably.
Of course, there’s always comic books published by companies other than Marvel or DC. But c’mon, no one reads those.
Changes aren't permanent but change is,
This is dF
