Native American actor Devery Jacobs spoke out this week against a critic who questioned whether two indigenous characters should exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the same time because they are too similar and “repetitive.” In turn, critics tried to explain what they were referring to.
Jacobs, who is Mohawk and also stars in the groundbreaking comedy “Reservation Dogs,” has played several Native American characters for Marvel. He first played the studio's first Mohawk hero, Kahhori, in the second season of the animated series “What If…” In Marvel's latest live-action series, “Echo,” she plays Bonnie, the cousin of the title character, who is an antihero from the Choctaw tribe played by Menominee actor Alaqua Cox.
Recent criticism of “Echo,” which began streaming Tuesday on Disney+, came from a YouTube movie critic. Grace Randolph, who runs the popular Beyond the Trailer channel. There has long been a criticism of the strategies Marvel Studios has used to add diverse characters to its universe. But in statements to The Times, Randolph clarified that his intention was to contribute to the conversation about diversity, not detract from it.
During a series of videos analyzing “Echo,” Randolph questioned Marvel's decision to introduce Jacobs' character, Kahhori, in late December, less than a month before the release of Cox's character, Echo. In a December video, he called the two characters “repetitive” because they are both of Native American descent and have similar powers. While praising Jacobs and Cox's performances in a separate video on Wednesday, Randolph doubled down on his comments and said Marvel was “undermining both characters” by presenting them so close together.
Earlier this week, when asked about the criticism in an interview with the hollywood reporterJacobs dismissed Randolph's opinion as a double standard, arguing that white actors would never be asked the same question.
“Would someone walk up to a white man and say, 'This is the only perspective there is for a white story'? Would anyone go and say that? Jacobs told THR. “It's atrocious, it's crazy for someone to say that.”
He continued: “I don't even know if an answer is warranted, but I'll give it anyway. I think Kahhori's story in 'What If…?' It is astronomically different from Maya López in 'Echo'.”
Jacobs explained that the narrative of his character Kahhori “talks about colonization and history and presents the Mohawk cultures and communities, the community that I come from”, and that Echo is more of “an antihero, a kind of villain, who returns to her”. Choctaw Nation and her family, and it's really a dark noir crime family drama.”
“And so they are both individual stories that absolutely deserve to be told,” he added.
In text messages sent to The Times, Randolph said his words were “twisted” on social media and during the THR interview in a way that “did not convey my positivity toward the characters, including [Jacobs’] powerful performance.”
“These stories absolutely deserve to be told, and it's important to do so,” Randolph said before adding that in her videos, she was “simply having a discussion about how to have the most successful representation in the MCU, which I would love.” to see.”
He went on to point out similarities between Kahhori and Echo, such as a mythical puddle of water that appears in the first episode of “Echo” and a similar puddle in “What If…?” But he acknowledged that “these details pale in comparison to the importance of telling these stories. I very much hope that both characters continue.”
In a previous video from November, he condemned the release of “Echo” as part of Marvel president Kevin Feige's “misguided attempt to diversify the MCU.” He called it “a good goal,” but said Feige did it “in the worst way possible” and caused “insurmountable damage to the brand.” In another video, he condemned recent Marvel releases for being too “female-centric” and said there was an “identity” to them.
Randolph's criticism fits within a subculture of comic book, science fiction, and fantasy fans who have analyzed Hollywood studios' attempts to diversify fictional worlds that have traditionally featured primarily white leading characters.
Outside the MCU, John Boyega, who is Black, and Kelly Marie Tran, who is Vietnamese-American, withstood racist attacks online from fans who were unhappy with their casting in recent “Star Wars” films. Moses Ingram faced similar criticism for his role in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” For her role as Disney princess Ariel in the remake of “The Little Mermaid,” Halle Bailey has received racist hate from fans. “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” received similar backlash for casting actors of color as inhabitants of a typically white Middle-earth.
Although Randolph's comments do not overtly call for the exclusion of actors of color, as some members of the “Star Wars” fan base did, Boyega, Tran and now Jacobs have pointed out how such comments could inadvertently cause a reduction in opportunities in a Hollywood industry that already undervalues non-white protagonists.
Jacobs also made headlines for her criticism of diversity and representation in Martin Scorsese's acclaimed film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which chronicled the murders of the Osage people in the early 20th century at the hands of white settlers. While Jacobs praised the performance of Lily Gladstone and other indigenous actors, she commented on a series of tweets“If you look proportionally, each of the Osage characters felt painfully underwritten, while the white men were given much more civility and depth.”
Additionally, she criticized the film for its portrayal of the murders of native peoples, which she denounced as lacking “honor and dignity,” and said that “showing more murdered native women on screen normalizes the violence committed against us and further dehumanizes our lives.” ”. people.”
