Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, says that the diversity that Marvel has on both on-screen and behind the scenes should be the Hollywood norm, not just any other headline.
The Chief Creative Officer and President of Marvel Studios himself has been lauded for the diversity that Marvel brings into their various films and series, from the characters on screen, to the stories told, and how the actors and directors bring these to life.
Many have been keen on the diversity that Marvel has, especially on screen, as it turns out, it's not the norm in the industry. This makes more fans and viewers support and love Marvel more – the diversity, inclusion, proper representation, and careful delivery of the characters from various walks of life.
The perfect example of this would be the casting of the upcoming Marvel's Eternals which includes the first-ever deaf hero with Lauren Ridloff's Makkari, the fastest woman in the universe, and the first openly gay couple with Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos and his husband in a happily married life. This diversification and proper representation are the very reasons that sold Angelina Jolie her role in the same film.
Another is the portrayal of Black Panther and everything that comes with it. It had an all-black cast, and the culture of Wakanda springs from where it is fictionally located, in Africa. The production was so keen on the details of diversification that the actors also learned an accent for a perfect delivery of the diversity Marvel stands for.
Inclusion and diversification do not end on screen for Marvel – it goes beyond the behind-the-scenes with the production team and crew. The upcoming Blade film had a meticulous search for its writer apt for the diversity Marvel is looking for where Stacy Osei-Kuffour, the first Black female scribe to ever write for a Marvel film, has been selected to write the reboot of Blade.
In the preparation of the upcoming launch of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on Disney+, Feige himself said that diversity should be the Hollywood norm. He added, "When you're doing a story about a female lawyer who is giant and green [She-Hulk], or a Muslim teenager with superpowers in Jersey City [Ms. Marvel], or working with filmmakers and writers of color as we are — it's so prevalent and so much a part of who we are and what we do now, that it doesn't seem abnormal."
It seems that the perspective of Marvel on diversity, inclusion, and proper representation comes from the highest in Marvel Studios and the rest follows. Feige added, "It's no longer a headline. A woman is directing something! Wow! I hope this will become the norm to the extent that this is no longer a rarity."
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier premieres next Friday, March 19, 2021, via Disney+.
Related: Kevin Feige Reveals Giving Anthony Mackie The Falcon Without Auditioning
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Marvel