LogFAQs > #945981024

Batman is the easiest story to diversify. Even if you set the story in the 1940s, New York City (Gotham) has always has been the most diverse location in America. I've no doubt that Bruce Wayne could have a Japanese karate instructor, a Black auto mechanic, and a lesbian Latina friend even then.

Frankenstein is probably the most difficult story to diversify. If you're going by the movies, Henry Frankenstein lived in 1800s Germany. If you're going by the novel, Victory Frankenstein lived in 1800s Sweden. What are you gonna do, give the monster green skin and have him portrayed by a Black actor under all of that makeup?

Everything else falls somewhere in-between.

I keep coming back to thoughts of what the cast would be like if I could do a film adaptation of Dracula, Robin Hood, or King Kong. I generally prefer changing character ethnicity to introducing new characters, but I understand the latter is sometimes necessary as well.

Sure, people get mad when characters change ethnicity between adaptations. They also get mad when you introduce original characters for reasons of inclusion. If it's all the same, I'd just as soon keep the original cast and have some of the characters look different than to displace old characters for the sake of including new ones. I'd rather Dracula have an Arthur Holmwood who's Black than to replace Arthur with Joe from America.

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