The former X-MEN ’97 showrunner criticizes Marvel for “race-swapping” villains.

Beau De Mayothe former showrunner of X-Men ’97stirred controversy with a series of posts about X, urging Marvel Studios to reconsider the “race-swapping” of white villains for black characters in its adaptations.

DeMayo, who had previously been fired from his roleeX-Men ’97 premiered, expressed his concerns about this trend from Marvel Studios and how it could inadvertently influence perceptions.

DeMayo’s criticism centered on iconic antagonists like Norman Osborn, who will be portrayed as and voiced by Black Colman Domingo in the next animated series Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

In his post, DeMayo said: “Hey @MarvelStudios, please stop race-mistaking white villains for black ones. It reads “funny”. Kang. High evolutionary. Norman Osborn. Electro. I bite.”

The debate over race-changing characters is ongoing, but DeMayo’s comments have reignited discussions, particularly regarding representation in the media.

Historically, these villains, such as Kang the Conqueror, Mordo, and Electro, were created as white characters in the comics. However, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), actors like it Jonathan Majors (Kang), Chiwetel Ejiofor (I bite), Jamie Foxx (Electric) e Chukwudi Iwuji (High Evolutionary) brought these characters to life with different representations.

DeMayo elaborated on his concerns in a subsequent post, stating, “Much of what we consume, especially children, visually influences how we see the world.”

He argued that when black actors primarily play villains while heroes often remain white, it creates “a visual story of good white guys beating up bad black guys.”

As you might imagine, DeMayo’s comments received mixed reactions. What do you think of what he’s saying?