on Jun 22 2007, 12:09:02 PM writes: There is a difference between roles written to be a certain race and roles well established as a certain race. Martin Luther King is well-established as an African-American, but Red from Shawshank Redemption was only written as a white (Irish) guy, not cemented in anyone's mind as a particular race. Of course, because of the nature of race relations in the US, if a character was written as black then his ethnicity is probably important to the story somehow.
Being white is unfortunately like being generic or the everyman, and so if you want a character's race to have no impact on the story then you make him white. It sucks but that's kind of the way it is. On the SLJ article, RiverStyx makes a good point.
Comics are a completely visual medium. You wouldn't cast Steve Buscemi as the Green Goblin because he has a goblinish voice. The main goal of comic book movies is to have the actors look like their characters.
It's why they wear costumes. It's why Affleck's hair was red. It's why Jackman smoked a cigar and JJ Jameson had a Hitler mustache.
Michael Clarke Duncan was cool as Kingpin because he looked more like him than any human being could have. Samuel L Jackson (intentionally) looks exactly like Ultimate Fury so no one should have a problem with him playing the character. EXCEPT that he is way too old and no longer an action star.
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