In the fourth episode of Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, "The Whole World is Watching," Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) kills Lemar Hoskins (Clé Bennett) in the heat of battle, which directly leads to John Walker (Wyatt Russell) seeking to avenge his friend by beating one of the Flag Smashers to death.
It was a hotly debated episode for a number of reasons, but killing-off Hoskins in this way resulted in a significant amount of backlash, as it was seen as playing into the trope of using a Black character's death to motivate a white "hero."
Showrunner Malcolm Spellman was asked about the controversial decision while being interviewed for the Fade To Black podcast, and admits to being fully aware of how problematic Lemar's murder could be perceived as being.
“From the movies I saw all from the beginning of the ‘80s all the way through now, the purpose of the Black character was either magical negro whose job is to service a white character, and once that white character has gone on their journey, the magical negro disappears,” he said. “Or, the Black guy or girl, but 99% of the time, guy, who’s there to get killed somewhere near the end of act two.”
In this case, however, Spellman simply didn't see any other way of getting Walker where he needed to be as a character without pushing him over the edge with the loss of his best friend, and believes TFATWS “earned it by telling all these other stories with heart.”
How did you guys view Lemar's death? What do you make of Spellman's response? Drop us a comment down below.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.