The much-awaited X-Men MCU series sequel was eagerly awaited by fans the world over. This anticipation had been quietly brewing for a long time, and the big-ups at Marvel decided to make the show eventually, much to the joy of fans. The series promised to be a fresh new approach to the classic original ’90s X-Men cartoon, and it had several fascinating elements that made the show very captivating.
However, unfortunately, the show has been plagued by many controversies before its release. One such major controversy that has come to light is the allegation of whitewashing on the show. Whitewashing is when characters of color are depicted or played by white characters, thus reducing the representation of minorities, which matters to communities of color.
This allegation seems damaging. However, a whole section of fans found this claim to be exaggerated and defended the show against it, much to their joy. Executive producer of the upcoming series X-Men ‘97 Beau DeMayo took to Twitter to dismiss the claims. He strongly defended the show.
Fans Cheer For Marvel Boss for Defeating X-Men Reboot Against Whitewashing Allegations
Disney+’s upcoming X-Men reboot X-Men ’97, producer Beau DeMayo is creating a lot of headlines lately for all the wrong reasons. Ever since the star-studded cast of the much highly anticipated show (which serves as the continuation sequel of the X-Men cartoon from the 1990s) has been announced, several fans have recently started trashing the Marvel Boss DeMayo for “whitewashing” the character of Sunspot in the show.
The new sequel to the X-Men series will feature many of its original series actors who will reprise their roles, and some new talents will also be appearing, including NY/LA-based actor Gui Agustini. Recently controversy surrounding Agustini’s character ( a fiery mutant Sunspot) and his casting in the X-Men sequel has gained widespread attention, and now the X-Men ’97 producer DeMayo is setting the record straight after some social media users started slamming him for whitewashing the said character.
The casting of voice actor Gui Agustini has sparked a heated debate online due to the actor’s lighter skin tone than his role, and this is why fans are trashing DeMayo for “whitewashing” the character. In response to one social media user who claimed, “Soooo you’re whitewashing now,” the X-Men reboots writer replied, “Don’t even. Look who you’re talking to. Moving on.”
Another user slammed his response and wrote,
“It’s unfortunate that this is how you choose to respond. I was looking forward to this show but your behavior and response to this very valid criticism means I won’t be tuning in. I’ll be sure to my friends that X-men fans don’t watch either.”
To which DeMayo replied, “It’s not a valid criticism. It’s an uninformed one, and I will defend my decisions and my crew — which includes several POC who have experienced the same hate and hardship that the X-Men do. They are not toys for you to debate. And I will not indulge fans in believing that they are entitled to be the arbiter of someone else’s identity, and whether or not they are ‘this’ or ‘that’ enough. It’s ignorant and a violation of that individual’s personhood. and I will get in your way. Such behavior swaps class for disrespect.”
Read some of the fan’s comments in response to the allegations here.
According to reports, the upcoming X-Men ’97 series will run for multiple seasons on Disney+.
A Brief Note on Disney+’s Upcoming X-Men Reboot
X-Men animated series is one of the best-animated shows based on superheroes to come out of American television. The long wait might finally be over with the upcoming show, X-Men 97. This animated show is created by Beau DeMayo, who also serves as the writer for this project, and holds a lot of promise for ardent X-Men fans. Many of the original cast members will return, which will be going to be a huge boost to the show, and adds credibility to it.
Also Read: James McAvoy Accidentally Shaved His Head, Forced to Wear Hair Extensions in $353M X-Men Film
Furthermore, this is the first time that Marvel would be making the show since acquiring the rights from Fox Studios. This show has fans all over the world very excited who would be long anticipating it, and therefore the internet is abuzz with news and promotions of the project. This animated series is reportedly planned; for release in the latter half of this year, and it will reportedly have; 10 episodes. A second season is already in development, and the whole project seems exciting and promising to X-Men fans.
Source: The Direct