On Your Left!: The Diversity Fight Between Marvel and DC’s Cinematic Universes

Emily Solomon ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

We all know the scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Sam Wilson is innocently running through Washington DC when all-American golden boy Steve Rogers, grin plastered on his face, laps him.
The moment someone slapped the DC and Marvel logos onto Sam and Steve’s faces, the interaction and the line “On your left!” took on an entirely different meaning. The phrase became ubiquitous in comics circles, a synecdoche for Marvel’s many successes—both in comics and on the big screen—over rival DC. Sales, representation, marketing, stories—you name it, Marvel was doing it better.
But in mid-October, when DC announced their upcoming movie releases, it looked like the tables might be beginning to turn. DC, moving slowly but steadily forward, was making its way towards improvement, towards feature films with dynamic and diverse casting. In a genre packed full with muscled white men, DC’s announcements were like a breath of fresh air.
Aquaman, scheduled for a July 2018 release, is headed by Jason Momoa (of Khal Drogo fame). He’s of mixed Polynesian, European, and Native American descent, a sharp and perhaps fitting change from the typical blond-blue-eyed depiction in the comics. Momoa has already spoken about why his portrayal of Aquaman is significant, saying, “The greatest thing for me is that Polynesians, our gods, Kahoali, Maui, all these water gods, so it’s really cool and a honor to be playing a [water] character. And there’s not too many brown superheroes, so I’m really looking forward to representing the Polynesians, the natives.”
When it comes to diversifying the cast of the DC Entertainment films in terms of gender: it was already confirmed that the Wonder Woman character will debut in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (Mar. 2016). However, a standalone Wonder Woman feature wasn’t confirmed until DC’s most recent lineup announcement. Wonder Woman is headed to theaters June 2017, after Batman v. Superman and just before her appearance in Justice League in November later that year. And as if the to sweeten the deal, Warner Bros is also looking to make history behind the camera by seeking a female director to helm the project.
The next Flash, Ezra Miller (remember Patrick in The Perks of Being a Wallflower?), is Jewish as well as being the first out LGBT actor to play a superhero in a major franchise blockbuster. The Flash is due out in March 2018, the first solo film after the November 2017 release of Justice League, where the Flash (no word on which one yet) will be making his debut—though he too is rumored for a short appearance in Batman v. Superman.
Cyborg, who is set to debut in Batman v. Superman, will also be getting the standalone treatment. Ray Fisher, who was cast for the role in March, wasn’t aware of DC’s decision until shortly before the official announcement: “I didn’t think I’d be getting my own stand-alone film,” he remarked. The announcement made Fisher the first African-American actor to be confirmed as a headliner for a major superhero blockbuster film. Cyborg is due out 2020.
But it doesn’t stop there for DC, thanks to several pending casting decisions. Audiences could very well see a John Stewart Green Lantern in theaters November 2017’s Justice League. Jena Malone was reportedly sighted on the set of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice in Detroit—possibly playing one of the female Robins, Carrie Kelly. The Suicide Squad, with it’s long history in comics, means we could see any number of diverse cast members when it hits the big screen in August 2016, but it almost assuredly means we’ll be seeing Amanda “The Wall” Waller on the big screen.
There’s still plenty left up in the air, but the stage is set for DC to keep their cast diverse as they move forward.
Never to be outdone by their rival, though, Marvel’s event at El Capitan theater in late October,  unleashed nine fresh titles (including the previously announced sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy, which got a pushed-up summer release date). Of Marvel’s upcoming features, the ones that immediately jump out in terms of diversifying the Marvel roster are Captain Marvel and Black Panther.
Captain Marvel, starring fan favorite Carol Danvers, marks the announcement of Marvel’s first female-led feature since 2005’s Elektra, and it’s high time. A Phase 3 without a female-led film would have left a gaping hole in their lineup following DC’s Wonder Woman announcement. No word on whether or not Marvel will seek a female director. Kevin Feige mentioned in a Q&A at the end of the event: “we will do what we’ve always done, hire the best filmmakers.”
The second, Black Panther, is headed for theaters in November 2017, right up against Justice League. Cast in the titular role, Chadwick Boseman (42) was introduced on stage with Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. during the Marvel Studios event. When asked to pick a side by Downey, Boseman replied: “Black Panther is his own guy.” Black Panther will be on screen as soon as May 2015, where he’s slated to appear and have a key role in Captain America: Civil War, followed by his own feature in November 2017.
A few of Marvel’s other announced titles opens the floor for further diverse casting choices. the titular role in Doctor Strange has yet to be casted, and while Benedict Cumberbatch was recently reported to be cast in the role, Feige explained during the Q&A, “If the casting were confirmed, we would have introduced him today.” The floor is open, and while Marvel certainly has its favorites to play the role, there’s no telling where they’ll end up.
But perhaps one of the biggest question marks, and one of the best chances Marvel has at diversifying its cast, is Inhumans, due in November 2018. The super-powered group has a long history in comics, acting sometimes as antagonists and sometimes as heroes. Headed by Black Bolt, they’ve joined forces with groups such as the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the X-Men.
Feige said himself during the Q&A that there’s a host of possibilities involved: “We do believe Inhumans can be a franchise,” he said. There’s plenty of room for diverse casting in this title, and not taking advantage of that would be a mistake on the part of Marvel Studios.
At first glance, there’s a notable discrepancy between DC and Marvel in terms of confirmed diverse casting choices. But Marvel’s recent announcements have created plenty of opportunities to pick up the slack and meet DC’s challenge; now they just have to live up to that potential. Marvel Studios has already made a raccoon and a walking tree heroes—one would hope they could extend the same to minorities across the board.
And make no mistake: DC isn’t a shining example—not yet, at least. Neither entertainment giant is perfect. Both still have huge strides to make in terms of diversity both in front of and behind the camera. If the competitive spirit between DC and Marvel Studios is what leads to better representation in superhero screen mythos, all the better for the audience.
The past two weeks have opened doors and created possibilities for the most diverse superhero media audiences have seen yet, and that’s something to be celebrated.