There's no denying that superhero movies (and all major studio tentpoles, really) suffered from a big diversity problem back in the day, but even the genre's staunchest detractors would have to admit that positive steps have been taken to change things over the past few years.
Even so, some still feel that more can be done, and Jessica Alba, who played Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in 2005's Fantastic Four and 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, doesn't really see any major difference between the pre-Marvel Studios era she worked in and the superhero content hitting theaters today.
"Even if you look at the Marvel movies – that’s the biggest driver of fantasy and what’s happening right now in entertainment because it’s sort of the family thing – it’s still quite Caucasian," said Alba during an interview with Glamour UK when asked how she feels about diverse representation in modern-day Hollywood. "I would say I was one of the few back in the day… And it was before Marvel was sold to Disney, but it’s still quite more of the same."
On the one hand, it's easy enough to understand why Alba would feel this way, as her Latina heritage was completely dialled down in the Fantastic Four movies with a blonde wig and blue contact lenses. Her personal experiences aside, though, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther and the upcoming Ironheart are all examples of big and small screen Marvel Studios projects with diverse leads and supporting casts.
More effort can always be put in, of course, but to suggest that nothing has changed seems a little unfair.
What do you guys make of Alba's comments? Do you agree that Marvel (and the other major superhero-focused studios) should be doing more to champion diversity? Be sure to share your thoughts down below. .