Iron Fist: Comic book artists draw Asian version of Danny Rand to show what could have been
Following the release of the Netflix show
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Within the last few months, four huge film/television properties have raised the question of Asian representation in Hollywood: The Great Wall, Doctor Strange, Ghost in the Shell, and Iron Fist.
Matt Damon being cast as the lead in The Great Wall was highly criticised by some as having a white saviour narrative; Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Marvel’s Doctor Strange proved controversial as the character is Tibetan in the comics; Scarlett Johansson as The Major caused large issues with fans due to the manga’s Japanese roots.
Netflix and Marvel’s series Iron Fist has caused controversy as many fans believed the character - who is a white American in the comics - should have been an Asian character. British actor Finn Jones ended up taking the role and has been defending his decision ever since.
Marvel comic artist Kris Anka - best known for working on various X-Men series and re-designing Spider-Woman - has ‘redesigned’ Iron Fist as an Asian superhero, inspiring numerous other people to draw their own versions of Danny Rand.
Iron Fist has been met with widely negative reviews, most of which commented on the show’s slow pace rather than controversial casting. Read The Independent’s view here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments