Recently, former Disney star Zendaya was rumored to have been cast in the upcoming film, Spider-man: Homecoming, as the long time love interest of Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson. MJ is a character that is full of sass, class, and is often pictured as out of Peter's league. Zendaya obviously impressed Marvel enough to win the coveted role (who hasn't been seen in the subsequent Spider-man films since she was played by Kirsten Dunst), so what has people up in arms over this decision? In the comics, MJ is pictured with red hair. Zendaya is a natural brunette. Are people satisfied? No, because it's not about her hair color, it's about her race.
For years, Hollywood has miscast roles intended for people of color or POC. From films where white men have had to play men of Arabian descent to white women playing African queens, Hollywood was a racist place. In later years, they would integrate those of color in a stereotypical role such as "the angry black man," "the servant," or "the exotic woman." In recent years, we have began to integrate more people of color into more appropriate roles and leads, giving them the same opportunities given to white actors. No matter how diverse Shonda Rhimes makes her shows, it appears that the rest of Hollywood either can't get the message or fans can't seem to accept it.
When Marvel announced that the story of Dr. Strange would leap into the big screen, fans rejoiced. However, it appeared all too perfect when the trailer depicted Scottish actress Tilda Swinton as "The Ancient One," who is a Tibetan man in the comics. The role was rewritten from the comics as a Celtic mystic. Swinton claims she was never asked to play an Asian character. While you cannot blame the actor for being cast in a role, you can blame the directors and the writers for taking a role away from a person of color. This is just one example of Hollywood crossing race and gender barriers, which eliminates diverse casting. Other examples include Scarlet Johansson being cast in Asian roles, Emma Stone in Aloha, Rooney Mara in Pan, and an entire cast of white people playing Egyptians in Gods of Egypt. These were all roles that were originally for people of color, yet Hollywood had other plans.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child astounded audiences with the casting of Hermione Granger with Noma Dumezweni ,a black actress, who was originally played by Emma Watson in the films. J.K. Rowling herself tweeted that she loved the casting.
Acting is not entirely about how you look. Yes, your "type" often determines what roles you will play, but it's about your talents. Many roles are written with specific races in mind in order to portray historical accuracy, but usually roles are open to all ethnicities. We are still fighting for both racial and gender equality in this day and age. Until we can accept that a black woman can play a red-headed love interest, then we are still in dire need for a change.
