“Has zero to do with race”
James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy, replies to the most recent debate regarding race switching. In terms of cast diversity, Marvel Studios has made steady progress. We never had such a diverse representation of nationalities and races in films and television shows ten years ago. We now have actors and actresses from other nations as well as roles that blur gender boundaries.
In terms of the audience, it seems that race switching is still a problem. Casting a Black actor to play a character that was originally white is a definite way to rile up some users on social media. It is an ongoing dispute rather than a past one. High Evolutionary from Guardians of the Galaxy is the most recent to experience criticism.
The High Evolutionary will be played by Chukwudi Iwuji in the third installment of the Guardians film series. Many people have been challenging Gunn over his choice of actor because the character is originally Caucasian in the comics.
Gunn did not waste time and explained that he chose Iwuji because he is simply the best actor fit for the role. “Because Chuck is the best actor I’ve ever worked with, that’s why. Has zero to do with race,” his prompt reply.