Marvel Studios have substantiated itself as a global phenomenon with its arrival into the world after Iron Man. known for bringing people’s heroes to life in the most amazing way possible, the MCU has gathered a horde of rabid fans that love the franchise beyond anything. May it be its high-budget silver screen flicks or its high-budget web series on Disney+, the company has made sure that there is something for everyone from them.
And as an entity with so much influence in the industry and beyond the screen, Marvel Studios tries to cater to that wide audience, as well as takes social responsibility to include as much variety to their roster via representation of people of color. And with the expansion of the MCU taking place with rapid intensity, more and more people join the MCU to give the fans something to enjoy. But sometimes, these actors find themselves on the dark side of the MCU, especially people of color.
Xochitl Gomez Reveals Facing Racial Backlash From Marvel Fanbase
With her entry into the MCU with Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, Xochitl Gomez‘s depiction of America Chavez was praised by many from the point of view that this was her first appearance. As many pointed out that she was a comic-accurate casting of the original fictional character, many people appreciated the company for representing people of color in their movies. That said, not all fans are so supportive of their efforts and say horrible things about the actors.
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With supporters of the franchise, there also comes a fandom that often shows the dark side of people that say hurtful and mean things when something fails to happen their way or they don’t like what they see, often referred to as a Toxic Fandom, to which even Marvel isn’t immune. Gomez revealed that she had a negative interaction with one of these toxic fans in her life when she was about to play America Chavez in the movie. During a recent interview with The Wrap, she disclosed the following:
“It was just nice to be able to have these shared experiences that made me feel like, OK, I’m not the only one. And especially with harassment and haters and stuff, and being able to be like, ‘OK, it’s not just me, this happens to you, it happens to a few other people as well.’ But it’s like, sometimes, when it’s in the moment, you forget, and it just becomes like this thing of like, ‘What is going on to me?’ And it’s just so much worse for brown people. Because there’s layers of racism, and it’s just, it’s tough. And so being able to talk to [Iman] and be like, ‘You’re not the only one,’ and being able to show my support, and being able to kind of take her out to dinner, and be able to take her mind off it, be able to like release it all. And then afterwards, being able to laugh and just be like, ‘Look at the conversation we just had!’ Look at that, we’re laughing, and it’s great.”
She also revealed that she and the Ms. Marvel star had learned that many from the franchise have faced similar backlash from the Toxic Fandom before.
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Will We See America Chavez Again?
After the events of Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, many fans have an almost unshakable belief that America Chavez will return to the MCU. As seen in the film, Gomez’s character has the power to jump multiverses with just her wish, which makes her one of the most important characters in the MCU as it inches forward into the Multiverse Saga, where the concept of the different realities will be further explored, making the character an integral part of the franchise.
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Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, now streaming on Disney+
Source: ScreenRant
