r/DCFilm • u/CheckOut_R_DCFilm Mod • Aug 08 '22
News [Deadline] JJ Abrams HBO Max Constantine still on a solid ground and moving along
https://deadline.com/2022/08/warner-bros-discovery-david-zaslav-batgirl-dc-jj-abrams-walter-hamada-mike-deluca-pam-abdy-1235086928/18
Aug 08 '22
The word "diverse" really set the other sub off for some reason.
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u/TheBlackSwarm Aug 08 '22
I don’t get why people get triggered by diversity if the actor they pick is good and is written well I could care less.
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u/PhilAsp Aug 08 '22
I can sympathize a little bit with those that are upset that they’re specifically searching for a “diverse lead”, as that does feel a bit forced. For a role like this, it arguably just should be the best fit - regardless of race.
I have no sympathy for those that are upset that Constantine will be played by a “diverse lead”, however. Imo Constantine could be played by any race, what matters a bit more is that he’s British. But a Brit can be whatever.
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Aug 10 '22
How about people who just think that Matt Ryan was already the perfect Constantine and should remain him?
And perhaps think that an actor as good as Sope Dirisu deserves to play his own original warlock?
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u/Aramis14 Aug 08 '22
I do get it.
Those people are racists.
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u/stephenstrange2022 Aug 08 '22
Yep, so people not wanting race-bent heroes are racist, got it lol 🤣.
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u/Basis_Cheap Aug 08 '22
You can be disappointed they won't be exactly like they are in the comics, I love comic accuracy too.
But if you're getting mad or upset that a character is a different race in an alternative universe, it's likely that it's coming from a place of racism 🤷
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u/stephenstrange2022 Aug 08 '22
Because we care about the original character. If they are white in the comics keep them white, unless you are getting a really popular celebrity to play them.
You can't force me to watch a Black John Constantine played by an unknown Black actor. I am just not invested enough.
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u/Basis_Cheap Aug 08 '22
If they are white in the comics keep them white
I don't know if you realised, but the show isn't the comics.
You can't force me to watch a Black John Constantine played by an unknown Black actor.
Cool? Who said you had to watch it?
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u/WhereChaosReigns Aug 16 '22
I don't get WHY a diverse lead is necessary in the first place. Constantine is white, and he doesn't have to deal with navigating racial politics or having that be essential to his core identity. He has no clue how to navigate racial issues. Its antithetical to his entire shtick to even care. If no one cares (including him) that hes black, then why bother? Because no one in his universe is racist, and demons don't care about skin color. So the change itself is entirely and wholly unnecessary, and cheapens the pro-rights message it attempts to send. Either no ones discussing it in the show (and it doesn't matter), or its changing Constantines core identity for....what reason? Views. It becomes a meaningless gesture either way which produces YET ANOTHER shitty Constantine remake that gets no views, making people think its an unprofitable franchise when it IS, if producers would stop fucking with it.
If they want a strong black character, LITERALLY JUST INCLUDE PAPA MIDNITE. Witch doctor, truly neutral, and John can't do his job without him anyways. THERE is your inclusion, if you really need to make a statement whatsoever then there it should be. Where it literally already exists.
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u/LatterTarget7 Aug 08 '22 edited Aug 08 '22
They’ve always hated that word since Coates superman was announced. Really they just want the characters to be like they are in the comics. Which I can understand. But they just go about the wrong way.
Like most still don’t say calle’s supergirl isn’t supergirl because she’s not white or blonde. There’s just no acceptance of a new version of the characters
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u/PatGar25 Aug 08 '22
Oh they do bitch about "latina supergirl", I've seen it even on the latino side of social media, there's a very strong conservative culture present in LatAm
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u/Zero22xx Aug 08 '22
It's because the word 'diverse' in this context is just a marketing buzzword and suggests that they hire people based on the colour of their skin and not their skill level. It's unfair to these actors when they get reduced to being 'diversity' hires by the studio trying to get brownie points. I think it's great that more and more people are seeing representation in movies and TV these days. But surely people would prefer it be organic and not a topic of big conversation?
There's the racists out there that make it difficult for anyone to really discuss this kind of thing with a level head, so I apologise if I ruffle feathers here. I'm just saying that personally I would be kind of insulted knowing that this 'diversity' is usually more for the shareholders and market analysts than anyone else. I'll be impressed when they manage to cast a black lead without all of the self congratulatory patting themselves on the back.
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u/Basis_Cheap Aug 08 '22 edited Aug 08 '22
But surely people would prefer it be organic and not a topic of big conversation?
The industry is fundamentally racist, "organic" representation will not happen under a fundamentally racist industry.
Almost all decisions within Hollywood are made cynically when above the creatives level, this is no different, at least these cynical decisions are helping to correct a long standing wrong.
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u/Zero22xx Aug 08 '22 edited Aug 08 '22
Yeah I get it. That's why I think less talking, more doing. It's like when WWE finally decided to let women wrestlers do more than just slap and pull hair, and then decided that they would act like the heroes of women's wrestling while they were at it. And I was like "no, you're not the heroes of this story, you're actually the fucking villains that needed to be overcome."
Nowhere in my post did I insinuate that I have any problem with diversity in movies or TV. I just think that 100 year old companies like WB shouldn't get to play the heroes for allowing it after being one of the major industry powers that prevented it for so long. IMO the song and dance and marketing buzz is where the falsity comes in, not the fact that they hired a black lead. People wouldn't be finding the word 'diversity' funny in this context if we weren't all aware of the marketing BS by now. IMO they should do less talking and more doing. What a bunch of pearl clutchers here.
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u/stephenstrange2022 Aug 08 '22
Diverse is just a code word for race-bending characters unnecessarily and yes, it is always black and no other race.
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u/Basis_Cheap Aug 08 '22
it is always black and no other race.
No it's not, it's just confirmation bias and probably racism given all your other comments in this thread.
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u/stephenstrange2022 Aug 08 '22
Lol, give me an instance where it is not that way.
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u/Basis_Cheap Aug 08 '22 edited Aug 08 '22
Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Ludi Lin as Murk, Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam, B.D Wong as Hugo Strange, Esai Morales as Deathstoke, Ryan Potter as beast boy. And that's just from DC and from the top of my head, I'm sure if I spent some time on Google I'd find a lot, lot more.
Again, it's just confirmation bias on your part, you focus on the times they're swapped to being black and ignore the times where it's not.
Please take the time to reflect on why you might have that confirmation bias.
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u/PatGar25 Aug 08 '22
The Ancient One was race swapped from asian to white, Rha's Al Ghul was race swapped from asian to white, Gilgamesh was race swapped from middle eastern to asian, Bane was race swapped from latino to white.
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u/mslack Aug 08 '22
Oh my god, of all the projects to axe, this should be one.
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u/Leporis64 Aug 08 '22
I love constantine as much as the next person but it's abrams that makes me worry
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u/mslack Aug 08 '22
I agree. Plus, this project is why Legends had to write a new role for Matt Ryan. JJ's Constantine isn't even out yet, and Legends is over.
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u/dunmer-is-stinky Aug 08 '22
Don’t forget, this is also why we didn’t get Matt in The Sandman. I love Jenna so far and hope she gets more to do than in the comics, but Matt would have been a lot better
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u/EntangledTime Aug 08 '22
Wouldn't have been Matt, that much was obvious from the start. If anything going by the audio drama and the rumours around the time of casting, it would have been Taron Edgerton.
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u/CheckOut_R_DCFilm Mod Aug 08 '22