Daredevil Message Board

[Ash-n-Bone]

I'm surprised this hasn't been discussed much yet considering how major Urich is to the history of Daredevil.

So Vondie Curtis Hall has been the actor chosen to play him.

Any thoughts?

I'm extremely excited by this casting because I loved him on the 90s medical series Chicago Hope. He's a highly talented actor.

What do you think?

[thomam]

Sullivan Stapleton has been cast as Luke Cage for Netflix.

[Mike Murdock]

I sense you are implying something by that, but I can't tell what.

Anyway, he looks grizzled and tenacious and all the things that Ben Urich is. I have no problem with his appearance. I've never seen him in anything, though, so I can't tell how he is as an actor.
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I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons

[Guardian-Devil]

[Bullseye11]

Yeah I honestly have no problem with him playing Ben Urich. He definetly has the tired worn out reporter thing down. Seems like hell be really good.

[thomam]

It's ok for us to say "what? Luke cage as a white guy? Luke cage is black. What the hell are they doing?" But if you are to say Johnny storm is white, kingpin is white and they need a white guy playing that part then you are wrong and possibly even labeled racist. It's silly.

I agree about playing the smaller roles like ulrich. I also believe if this was just a novel and no race was known that vondie is great casting for a old reporter. I think he will play a good part but I'm also tired of the political correctness. I don't want to ever see any black characters in comics cast as white actors and vice versa. Is that wrong of me? No.

[Ash-n-Bone]

I agree with Guardian Devil. As Urich is a supporting character I see no problem with an African American playing him, especially a veteran like Hall. But when it comes to the main characters, lets not change races simply to be " fair", this coming from someone of ethnic origin.

[McFly]

cut the racism. there are more than enough white characters in comics already and there are more than enough white actors in hollywood. so get over yourself and come to terms with the fact that there are different people in the world who all deserve to be represented on screen.

if that means sometimes a black actor is cast for a "white role", I dont see where your problem could be? it should be about how well the character is portrayed, not how much his skin colour matches the original.
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Deodorant Cant Fix Ugly.

[Ash-n-Bone]

What you say is true, but I don't think it can be labelled as "racism". It's just about wanting an adaptation that stays faithful to the comics. The same people complaining about race changes would also be unhappy if a character's gender, physical build, sexual preferences, religion, etc...were changed.

For example, if Spiderman was played by a fat girl on screen but still had the same "character" as Peter Parker, how many people would be okay about it?

[thomam]

Its not racism. Nothing to do with racism at all. Like Ash n Bone said. People want adaptations true to the comics. We don't want a white Black Panther, a white Luke Cage, a white Blade, or a black Johnny Storm. Nothing racist about it.

[james castle]

Weeeeell, it's kinda racist.

See, because the thing is that Urich's race really has nothing to do with who he is as a character. As others have pointed out he's an older, worn out, idealistic journalist guy. Whether he's black or white really doesn't matter. UNLESS, you think that there's a quality that white people have that black people don't.

Same goes for Kingpin. Nothing about his character is informed by his race.

Luke Cage and Black Panther are way, way different because their race is central to their character. If you don't know why that is go onto the internet and find out.

The Spider-Man example is equally ridiculous. Could Spider-Man be black? Sure. Even a woman really. But he can't be fat because part of his thing is being skinny.

Saying "but Urich has always been white so should continue to be white" with not other justification is racist. Because you think white people are smarter or more honest or something than black people. You think that Ben being black changes him in some way. It really doesn't and you shouldn't think it does.
_________________
JC

So why can't you see the funny side?
Why aren't you laughing?

[McFly]

[thomam]

No by saying that is not racist. The definition of racism is to believe that your race is superior to another race. By saying that the character of kingpin, ben ulrich, nick fury etc is a white character as created and should stay that way is not implying that any race is superior or inferior. It's simply stating that people think characters should be as they are. The question is will they ever change the race of a black character? If people were to complain if they did would they also be called racist by people like you who don't know what the term means.

Ulrich is a supporting character and I think the particular actor playing him will do great but I and a lot of other people like the characters to stay true to the comics.

[thomam]

And if Turk eventually appears I want him to be a black character like in the comic books. Or maybe I want him white so you all will complain and we can see the double standard.

[Mike Murdock]

White? Like how he was drawn in Guardian Devil?

I think the casting of Michael Clarke Duncan originally was an interesting one. They were talking about actors who were physically imposing like the Kingpin. Of the actors available (in other words, they couldn't get Marlon Brando), the best was Michael Clarke Duncan. The only justification they could think of to exclude him from the role was his race. To me, that's a no-brainer.
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Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons