The world currently finds itself in the midst of a widespread change in attitudes to representation and diversity, and when coupled with a global pandemic that’s still far from over, it’s a very different place from what it was just a few months ago. The movie business is attempting to lead the charge, given that some of the world’s most recognizable faces tend to be high-profile actors and filmmakers with the visibility and reach to make these sort of things happen within their own industry.
As the biggest, most lucrative and most popular brand in Hollywood, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is being looked at by many to take some steps, and based on recent comments by Thor: Love and Thunder star Tessa Thompson, the studio are keen to push forward in terms of inclusion. We’ve previously heard that Marvel’s long game is to slowly phase out the majority of their white male heroes, but there’s a lot more to it than just the characters with their names in the title.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Anthony Mackie recently publicly called Marvel out for their lack of diversity, something he’s actively looking to change given his status as the franchise’s new Captain America, and in a recent interview, Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo admitted that he wasn’t wrong in his comments.
“He’s not wrong. I think we can always all do better at diversity constantly in this business in every facet of every industry, so he’s not wrong at all. So I think that we all have to work harder to keep endorsing and supporting diversity on both sides of the camera. We have a ton of respect for Anthony Mackie. He’s not only an amazing actor, but he’s an amazing person, and we’ve loved our collaboration with him. He’s a very smart guy.”
Fair enough, but with a female director widely expected to be named for Captain Marvel 2, Taika Waititi and Ryan Coogler both returning for Thor and Black Panther sequels, respectively, and Chloe Zao currently putting the finishing touches on The Eternals, the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s focus on increasing diversity and representation behind the camera as well as in front of it already looks to be well underway.
