A Look at Black Representation

Last week we examined reboots with a focus on the Spider-Man films of the 21st century - in particular, the live-action outings of the superhero. But an equally interesting animated iteration is set to be released later this year, featuring not Peter Parker as the masked hero, but a black teenager by the name of Miles Morales. Along with CW's Black Lightening, the continuation of Netflix's Luke Cage and Marvel's upcoming Black Panther, this year, it appears, could mark the rise of the black superhero. It seems appropriate then, to examine black representation in the genre, and explore how these current and upcoming instalments impact it.

Looking back at the superhero genre up until recent, it's fair to say that black people have generally had little in the way of representation. Certainly if we look at the Marvel or DC franchises, we see that the lead characters are predominately white - Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-man, Batman, Superman and so on. There are a few black supporting characters, such as Lucius Fox in The Dark Knight trilogy, James Rhodes in the Iron Man films and recently Mary Jane in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but none with their own film. Moreover, being of African heritage neither adds nor detracts anything from their characters; they would be the same if played by someone of any other ethnicity. In the examples above this is either due to the way the characters are written in the source materials (comic books) or down to what might be termed 'colour-blind casting'. This is fine, of course, and serves to prevent a saturation of white characters in the genre. However, it leaves unfilled a gap for black heroes whom actually reflect their cultural identities and backgrounds.

Actress Zendaya Coleman as the traditionally white Mary Jane

 in Spider-Man: Homecoming. A step forward maybe, but far

 from the great leap black representation is due. 

Now though, it seems this gap is finally being filled. CW premiered Black Lightning this month, a series following retired superhero and school teacher Jefferson Pierce, who's forced back into his vigilante alter-ego in order to combat crime and injustice in his town. The show explores the racial climate of modern America, showcasing gang violence and prejudice effectively from the off, and opening up a debate over whether violence is necessary to overcome the challenges that come from being black in such a society. Cress Williams, the actor playing the title role, describes Pierce as like "Martin Luther-King and Black Lightning (his superhero alter-ego) as Malcolm X" - both iconic figures in African American culture for fighting for what it means to be black in the USA. They certainly couldn't be cast as white characters. The same could be said of the titular character in Marvel's Luke Cage (2016-) which, in a similar vein to Black Lightning, explores the African American community in Harlem. Both shows have been met with critical success (each holding over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes), making television currently the best place for black representation in the genre.

However, with Black Panther on the horizon, that may be about to change. The Ryan Coogler directed film looks to be taking black representation to new pastures, celebrating an African culture untouched by European colonisation. With current estimates suggesting it could be Marvel's biggest box office solo debut, it may just be a turning point for black representation in the genre.