OK, may I now make affirmative action jokes about John Stewart in the JLA?
Warner bros announce superhero films through 2020
- Thread starter JoeZhang
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You're forgetting Alan Cumming, who played Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United. And Anna Paquin, who came out as bisexual in 2010 and then reprised the role of Rogue in Days of Future Past (in scenes that were cut from the theatrical release but are being restored for DVD). And Kristanna Loken, who played the title role in the Painkiller Jane series. And Victor Garber, who'll be playing Dr. Martin Stein (half of Firestorm) on The Flash pretty soon.
A borderline case would be David Hyde Pierce, who dubbed the voice of Abe Sapien in the first Hellboy movie (although that was before he came out). And you could make a case for David Yost, the Blue Ranger on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; I don't think he was publicly out at the time, but he was driven from the show by the homophobic behavior of members of the production, so he must've been somewhat open.
In animation, Neil Patrick Harris played Spider-Man in the 2003 MTV series, the Flash in the DVD movie Justice League: The New Frontier, and Nightwing in Batman: Under the Red Hood. Sean Maher also played Nightwing in Son of Batman. Matt Bomer played Superman in Superman: Unbound. And I'm not sure if he was out at the time, but Cam Clarke played Leonardo in the original Ninja Turtles cartoon and He-Man in the 2002 series.
Again, doesn't Momoa count? I think the Aquaman film is coming before the Cyborg film.
I should have clarified. To my knowledge, Miller is the first out LGBT actor to play a major superhero in a feature film - at least in a long while. Thanks for the correction, I guess.
As for Cyborg, in the current ecosystem of officially announced superhero movies, it would be the first time a black actor has headlined his own superhero movie based on a comic book since 2004’s Blade: Trinity.
As for Cyborg, in the current ecosystem of officially announced superhero movies, it would be the first time a black actor has headlined his own superhero movie based on a comic book since 2004’s Blade: Trinity.
I can't...I can't! I could not give a flying fuck about most of the other DC characters but Clark Cavill and Batfleck on the screen?If enough geeks nationwide publicly pledge to skip BvS in theaters, and hold private house-viewing parties with Redbox rentals a few months later instead, and make good on that promise, we may yet avert the many disasters DC intends to foist on us. We have the power!
Very true. Ergo, it's up to all of us. If enough geeks nationwide publicly pledge to skip BvS in theaters, and hold private house-viewing parties with Redbox rentals a few months later instead, and make good on that promise, we may yet avert the many disasters DC intends to foist on us. We have the power!
Geeks = Niche Market
You'd have to turn the general audience against WB. Both foreign and domestic. Which isn't gonna happen. Drink the Hollywood kool-aid and enjoy your Justice League film.
Thanks for the correction. You are the man Christopher.
I say throw in Black Lightning and Static in the same movie and we get a double thunder movie or some other clever title.
Sorry, that's still not true. All of the actors I mentioned in the first paragraph were out before playing their superhero roles (at least where Paquin's most recent appearance as Rogue is concerned). Nightcrawler and Rogue are both major superheroes appearing in feature films. And Paquin last played Rogue earlier this year.
If you limit your statement to DC superheroes in live-action features, though, then I think it would hold up. But Miller is definitely not the first overall.
Does this even really matter though if the actor is LGBT? Don't we want the diversity in character more than who plays them?
The Flash is (maybe most likely?) still straight. And hiring a LGBT actor to play a straight character has been done since acting first started, I don't see where the praise, hope, or desire is needed in these cases.
Does anyone think Ian McKellen was a great Magneto because he's gay? Of course not, they think he's great because he's one of the greatest actors ever (opinion, but he's awesome so there). It doesn't matter about the preference of the person playing the character these days. I think even the most uptight nerds can get past that.
It's changing the character from what we grew up with that's the hurdle.
The Flash is (maybe most likely?) still straight. And hiring a LGBT actor to play a straight character has been done since acting first started, I don't see where the praise, hope, or desire is needed in these cases.
Does anyone think Ian McKellen was a great Magneto because he's gay? Of course not, they think he's great because he's one of the greatest actors ever (opinion, but he's awesome so there). It doesn't matter about the preference of the person playing the character these days. I think even the most uptight nerds can get past that.
It's changing the character from what we grew up with that's the hurdle.
Very true. Ergo, it's up to all of us. If enough geeks nationwide publicly pledge to skip BvS in theaters, and hold private house-viewing parties with Redbox rentals a few months later instead, and make good on that promise, we may yet avert the many disasters DC intends to foist on us. We have the power!
Geeks = Niche Market
You'd have to turn the general audience against WB. Both foreign and domestic. Which isn't gonna happen. Drink the Hollywood kool-aid and enjoy your Justice League film.
Exactly. Us hardcore fan types like to think we're the movers and shakers and that the general audience is incidental, but it's more like the other way around . . . .
Ellen Page as well, just for the record
I don't know about that. I don't think that geeks and general audiences are really that different.
Man of Steel had a very polarizing response from geeks, general audiences and critics.
Amazing Spiderman 2 was met with a lukewarm and tired response from geeks, general audiences and critics.
The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy (two very different movies) was met with universal critical acclaim from geeks, general audiences and critics.
I really can't think of any major movies in the past few years where geeks and general audiences had a different response. Maybe Dredd, but that's due to general audiences not knowing about the film rather than disliking it.
Yeah that does make sense. And I can understand why the Flash TV writers wouldn't want to be tied down by what the movie franchise was doing with the character...
But it still would have been cool.
"More?" I wouldn't say that, because when it comes to the casting of actors, it's an employment issue. It's about whether actual, live people of all types are given a fair shot at job opportunities, and that's always important. That doesn't compete with the goal of seeing LGBT representation among characters, because character diversity is just a means to the end of achieving fairness and equal rights among real live people.
It's true that there could definitely stand to be more LGBT representation among characters in superhero movies, though. We're getting some representation on TV lately, with Sara Lance and Nyssa al Ghul on Arrow and Renee Montoya and Barbara Kean on Gotham -- and technically John Constantine in his upcoming self-titled series, but it's unclear whether his bisexuality will ever be addressed in the show. Movies do seem to be lagging behind. The most prominent LGBT character I can think of who's been featured in movies is Mystique, but I don't think her bisexuality has been acknowledged in the movies.
But there was a time when they would've had to keep it closeted in order to be accepted. The fact that they can be out now and have it not be a big deal is definitely progress.
As far as I know no actor has been blacklisted for their sexual orientation, however there was a time even being suspected of being a Communist could get one blasklisted. Somehow I think whomever is selected to write and direct these movie is a bit more important than the lead actor's sexual orientation or nationality for that matter.
Not to take away from the Communists, who certainly suffered in the U.S. and other western Industrialist nations, but homosexuality, in code (sodomy) or flat-out was or still is illegal all across the world. The U.S., for example, used the term "Crime against nature" in its 19th century Criminal code, and several states had anti-sodomy laws until fairly recently. And the World Health Organisation considered homosexuality up until 1992.
How many people watching a given movie really cares about an actor's sexual orientation though? Somehow I think people care more about how well done a movie is more than anything else. And I do think it's more imporant to get the character across properly.
^ Sensible people don't care about an actor's sexual orientation when watching a movie. However, if you read interviews with the likes of Rupert Everett or Anne Heche about how coming out affected their career, you'll see that unfortunately it does have an impact, whether it comes from producers/studios or audiences.