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In a recent interview with Glamour UK Magazine, Fantastic Four (2005) star Jessica Alba spoke about how the Marvel Cinematic Universe still has a long way to go in regards to racial diversity. The actress, who had appeared in two of Fox's productions of "Marvel's first family," the Fantastic Four, felt that the majority of lead characters in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) were Caucasian.
According to the interview, Jessica Alba's own diverse roots seemed to have backed such a notion. The 41-year-old California native has a French-Danish heritage from her mother's side and has Mexican-Indian and Spanish lineage from her father's side of the family. Alba further spoke on how Marvel lacked diversity prior to being acquired by Disney. However, according to the actress, things have remained majorly the same.
Following the publication of this interview on July 21, numerous MCU fans reacted to her statement. While some cited the recent inclusion of diverse characters in their defense of the franchise, others seemingly agreed with Jessica Alba. One such response from Twitter user @RichHomieKony mentioned:
"Marvel has taken strides in diversity recently, but she is factually correct when saying that Marvel is still mostly white."
What did Jessica Alba say about the Marvel Cinematic Universe's diversity of characters?
While speaking about the diversity of Marvel films prior to the studios' acquisition by The Walt Disney Company, the actress turned entrepreneur said:
"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 think – it's still quite Caucasian…"
Later, Jessica Alba insinuated that her inclusion in the 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four series was one such instance of diversity owing to her diverse roots. She further added:
"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."
However, it must be noted that when Fox decided to reboot the franchise in 2015, the studio cast Michael B. Jordan for the role of Johnny Storm. The character was previously portrayed by Captain America star Chris Evans.
MCU fans respond to Jessica Alba's call for the studio to include more diversity
A slew of fans came to the MCU's defense, citing the franchise's recent efforts to include more characters of colour or members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many tweets pointed out how Jessica Alba had failed to acknowledge the inclusion of diverse characters in MCU projects over the last few years. However, it cannot be said for certain whether Alba did or did not acknowledge the recent inclusion of characters from varied backgrounds, as Glamour Magazine's interview only included very few quotes regarding the actress' views on Marvel's diverse character slate.
The general consensus of MCU supporters came down to how the franchise has included lead characters of color in its projects, starting with 2018's Black Panther. The 2018 super-hit from Marvel included a majority of black actors, starring the late Chadwick Boseman. In addition to the black cast, the film was also directed and co-written by black director Ryan Coogler.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel became one of the first lead female superheroes in the MCU. Similarly, two years later, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow movie was the second such film to include a female lead character. In the same year, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings showcased the first Asian superhero from Marvel. The recent addition of Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan in Disney Plus's Ms. Marvel hit the trifecta of diversity in such roles. Khan is not only a teen Muslim but also a person of South-Asian origin as she was born in Karachi.
In addition, Marvel seems to include more diversity with the inclusion of upcoming characters like Riri Williams in Disney Plus' Iron Heart and the possibility of Shuri donning the iconic Black Panther mantle in the sequel, Wakanda Forever.
