The genre of superhero films has inspired fans of all ages for decades now, however, it’s only recently that companies have begun to push for more diversity among its characters. This new push for diversity, like most business industries, is most likely just a response to modern trends and consumer demands, but for some members of the audience, it means so much more than that.

Though the reasoning behind more diverse characters appearing in film and television isn’t what it should be, it doesn’t take away from the power of the decision for many of the fans that connect to these heroes. Films and shows that depict more people of color, strong women, and members of the LGBTQ+ do more than entertain a broader audience. They also promote representation and inclusion, which encourages society to do the same.

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It is because superhero storylines are so popular and inspiring to fans that they, especially, should aim to incorporate more diversity. Considering that most of the heroes in the Marvel and DC universes began as normal people, it only makes sense to illustrate the many different ways that normal people can look, especially in a universe that makes so much room for more characters. Not only would it make the stories more relatable to a larger audience, but it would also make sense with the patterns and structures that these universes already use in films.

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Though Marvel is known to have a more diverse collection of characters in the franchise, both they and DC are guilty of continually focusing on several of the same white male characters across multiple films. The opportunities used to pursue these somewhat repetitive storylines could just as easily be used to focus on diverse characters that haven’t had a chance to shine in Hollywood’s lights. Given that both franchises have a plethora of characters waiting to be used, there doesn’t seem to be a good reason for sticking to these patterns, rather than wanting to take what would, in this day and age, be the safest financial route.

On the other hand, movies like Morbius may suggest that it’s not a matter of the companies being afraid of taking risks on unexplored characters, but a hesitance regarding coming off as too radical in the eyes of more conservative viewers. Since Marvel is owned by Disney, who popularly tries to avoid topics or characters that could be viewed as controversial, it is likely that they consider things in this light. That said, as the push for more diversity in all areas of life inevitably grows, the demand for more media content that reflects this will do the same. Those who are uncomfortable with certain characters or their lifestyles can just choose to not go see the film. Superhero films have the ability to be ahead of the game on inclusivity, and if they don’t act on it quickly, they may end up getting left behind.

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That said, both companies have also strayed away from the generic superhero trope before and found success. DC’s Wonder Woman did exceptionally well, particularly among the female audience who, quite unsurprisingly, responded favorably to a female hero that was allowed to be strong and not fit into the stereotypical roles expected of women in most media. Marvel’s Black Panther and Shang Chi had very similar effects, being centered around characters with more diverse cultural backgrounds. Aside from a handful of character-focused films and a few racial and gender variances through multiverses, however, the DC and Marvel Comics consist of many overlooked heroes and villains that are POC, women, or part of the LGBTQ+ community.

There is no shortage of options for either company in how they could approach more diversity among their primary characters. Both companies have whole libraries of characters that don’t have shows or movies, and stray from the image of the cliché superhero protagonist. Future films could also insist on casting POC actors over white ones to play characters, or take an approach like Spider-Man does, and have multiple versions of heroes in multiple universes. The franchises could even add new characters to incorporate diversity. There’s no shortage of options for how DC and Marvel could be more inclusive, which is what makes it so disappointing that either company hasn’t made more attempts to do so.

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One of the biggest positives for more diversity ultimately comes down to the fact that people want to watch stories that they can relate to. By utilizing more of the many diverse characters that these IP have access to, Marvel and DC films could actually feel like real heroes by representing communities that don’t get as many opportunities to see characters on screen that resemble themselves. When kids watch movies where characters that look like them save the day, they go on to believe that they can achieve the same. In a similar way, adults can be inspired too, by the perseverance of characters that have similar existences or face similar trials as they do. Everyday heroes come in all shapes and forms, so the fictional ones should too.

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Source: Wikipedia - List of superhero debuts