We need affirmative action!
Race based preferences for TV show characters protected by first amendment. Next thing you know, we’ll have black Norse gods. Oh wait. But I am going to go ahead and say that, yeah, I’m pretty sure none of the Norse gods were African.
October 17th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Ironically Heimdall was considered to be “the whitest of the gods”. Honestly, I think that is funny and most likely intentional.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:10 am
“Council of Conservative Citizens.” Bet they’re a real hoot at parties.
I’m thinkin’ they’re getting pretty desperate to find things to justify their existence.
October 18th, 2012 at 9:32 am
spill.com pointed out in their review of Thor that the one black character was the doorman.
October 18th, 2012 at 10:31 am
Yeah, but Jesus was a black man…born in Israel…wait…
October 18th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
For what it’s worth in the comic books the Asgardians are not Norse. They are a race of other-dimensional aliens evolved from earth peoples. All of the other pantheons (Greek, Native-American, Indian, etc.) are of similar origins. That is why there are non-white “gods” in Asgard, they immigrated from the other dimensions/realms. Hogun the Grim, for example, is a Tartar or Mongolian, IIRC.
Of course Heimdall is white in the comics. But if that’s your big complaint about how the movie Thor was unrealistic, I can’t really help you.
October 18th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
I don’t recall anyone getting that upset over Zeus taking the form of a bull or a swan to seduce human females.
Why should I care that a god chooses his racial appearance more like a fashion choice than anything else?
October 21st, 2012 at 8:58 am
But more importantly than comic book Asgardians being multi-hued, the simple fact is that Idris Elba is fraking badass. As Heimdall is meant to be one of the few entities in the Nine Worlds that gives Odin pause, yet also needs to stay mostly passive throughout the story, you need someone who can convey power and restraint at the same time. James Earl Jones is too old, Samuel L. Jackson was already cast as Fury, and Elba brings his own impressive physique to boot.
Branagh has a long history of “color-blind” casting. Densely Washington as Don Pedro of Aragon? It worked.
October 21st, 2012 at 8:59 am
Denzel. Damnable you autocorrect!