Supermallet

Inspired by the Fantastic Four thread, I figured I'd give this discussion its own separate spotlight.

What elements of a character should never be changed? What elements can be changed? Why?

Would Spider-Man (specifically Peter Parker) work if he were black, or a woman, or rich?

Does Elementary diminish the Sherlock Holmes stories by making Watson a woman?

For my part, I think as long as the character's personality traits are intact, the gender, race, and socioeconomic status don't matter so much, unless those are pivotal to the character. For example, Othello must be a Moor in order for that story to work. Peter Parker? His race doesn't really affect the Spider-Man story.

moviefan2k4

I think most characters in comic-based TV or film should be kept in line with their print counterparts, unless the project in question is completely different from established canon. To do otherwise would upset a lot of fans, but more importantly, would go against the original creators' intent.

Solid Snake

For comic books, they should stay as close to the look as possible...most of the time. Some characters have VERY unique or cultural/racial looks to them. In the case of someone like Electro...he is a nobody. It was always the costume. Buuuut from what I see with Foxx's look. I dunno, not digging it.

Hokeyboy

Don't care, as long as the story stays true to the character, and it doesn't violate any historical/social sense.

Black James Bond in 2013? No problem. In 1962? Problem. See Jim West and Captain America too.

Black Spider-Man or Perry White? No problem at all.

I find it utterly laughable that people claim that changing a character's ethnicity somehow violates its creators' "original intent"... as if said creators set out to create a cool WHITE character, first and foremost.

inri222

mhg83

You would be okay with a white Shaft? I think some people would have a problem with that.

EddieMoney

Hurts less than a black shaft.

Hokeyboy

Shaft was a specific blaxploitation character created to reflect the 70s black urban experience.

Spider-Man was created to riff on great power/responsibility and show the hero as a trod-upon common man.

Big difference between the two.

Solid Snake

That violates the social sense he was talking about.

printerati

Jennifer Connelly should have never changed these.

Solid Snake

Her tits or what?

majorjoe23

Spider-Man: A teenage boy from Queens living with his aunt after his parents died and his uncle was murdered?

Sorry, but a background like that just screams white guy.

bluetoast

What about when Patrick Stewart played him with an all black cast?

Mattflix

Generally, it should be interchangeable, but there are a few problems.

Most of our beloved comic book characters are from the 60's and such. So as PC as we want to be today, if we're taking characters from a more segregated time, we have a paradox.

For example, I would never beleive that a black guy would be named Johnny Storm. That would just be ignoring too much in lieu of being PC.

A character like Kingpin or Electro, sure. But it's been pointed out that these are more one-dimensional villains. Racial identity tends to be more tied to a more thorough character exploration that you'd see with a hero.

You know, it'd be nice if we could create NEW characters that are just as effective as the ones that came out 50 years ago.

HN

Spider Man cannot be a woman. it's right there in the name.

Shannon Nutt

White, Black, or Green, James Bond should ALWAYS be British.

Groucho

Except when he's Irish. Or Australian. Or American.

inri222

Or Scottish

Shannon Nutt

Scotland IS British. I don't think Pierce was from Northern Ireland, but he moved into the UK when he was young, so I'll give him a pass.

Mattflix

There's a fan theory that James Bond is a code name used by multiple agents: Dalton's went rogue, Lazenby's quit when his wife died, etc. In Quantum of Solace the one character acknowledged that his name wasn't his real name.

That's the only way I can wrap my head around Judi Dench's M still being present for a newly-00 status Bond in Casino Royale.

So sure any British male citizen can be James Bond.

Hokeyboy

Of course the character of Bond is half Scottish and half Swiss, but yeah, he MUST be English

Hokeyboy

There's almost ZERO continuity between Bonds. Just let it go.

Groucho

I don't remember that, refresh my memory? At any rate, in Skyfall it was made abundantly clear that James Bond is his given name.

inri222

Supermallet

That was a deliberate role reversal, which worked because the character of Othello was still in contrast to everyone around him. Had Patrick Stewart played Othello with an all-white cast, it wouldn't have worked.