Marvel Possibly Eyeing Asian American Actors For Iron Fist

For a little while, it appeared as if Marvel’s Iron Fist series might not happen on Netflix, but now that it’s finally found a showrunner, things are beginning to move along nicely. The character’s live-action debut is long overdue, and fans have a lot to say about who should be cast in the role. Interestingly, many believe that an Asian American actor should be chosen to play Iron Fist.

Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel has taken note of the demand from those who have been making their voiced heard on the matter online, and have “met with Asian-American actors in consideration for the lead.”

However, the trade goes on to add that the studio is “leaning toward keeping Iron Fist white,” something which obviously falls in line with how Danny Rand has classically been portrayed in the source material. While his race isn’t a huge deal, some argue that it makes more sense for Iron Fist to be white because he comes from a privileged background and ends up learning Kung Fu when he winds up in the mystical land of K’un-Lun.

Of course, there’s absolutely no reason why an Asian American couldn’t come from that type of world, but is it not a little clichéd to cast someone from that background as a martial arts expert? Others believe that it’s the only way the character’s abilities can be accurately portrayed, and as you can probably tell, this is a very divisive issue.

What direction Marvel will take with Iron Fist remains to be seen, but tell us, how do you think they should cast the role?