Apologies for Heimdall

[PoliceBox63]

I'm quite the hardcore comic book geek and I couldn't care less. Upon brief reflection i don't think I would mind any charater's skin colour deviating from the comics. Yes that means I wouldn't mind a black spider-man. The comics are canon. People should have fun with the films and tell the story in the best way possible.
Hiemdal was fantastic in Thor by the way/

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

I'm sorry white folks about your Norse god.

I understand that racism is a two-way street and that it's fucked for anybody to wrong anybody else.

I understand that some of you are very serious about your comics and that some of you are actually neo-pagan and dislike both the comics and the movie, so I just want to say I'm sorry as a black man.

Am i the only one who looked at the actor and saw ya know? An actor.... I didnt see a white man or a black man, i just saw an actor. Since when did race even matter enough to even bother point it out? Im shocked this even an issue. Cmon people. Its like eye colour. Theres an amount of fucks you should give. Its less than zero.

 

[binvjoh]

Apology accepted

I'm from Sweden and I don't care at all. Actually, can we make Oden a hot asian chick with some nice "assets" next time? Just a suggestion.

 

[Ledan]

Well, since he fits the part AWESOMLY, I don't think anything else matters about him. Actually now that I think about it, I don't mind at all that Heimdall is played by a black actor, because they didn't alter the character. Like, they didn't any weird Hollywood stereotype stuff to him, so whatever. He is an awesome actor.

 

[TonyVonTonyus]

I'm not mad that they chose a black guy as a Norse God (especially Heimdallr, the whitest of the Norse Gods...don't turn that into a race thing, more a depiction thing. Your making both off a comic and a religion so you might as well get it right).Idris Elba was awesome in that movie and in any other situation if in that role the guy was already written to be a black guy in Norse mythology and the comic than yes, cast him. What I'm actually mad about is race swapping in general. In wouldn't switch a white guy for a black guy or an asian guy if in the story and/or script they guy is a black or asian guy and vice versa. I know it's going to be different but stick with the story.

 

[thelonewolf266]

Awww. I thought we were here to talk about the cool Asgard from Stargate

He was indeed too put it succinctly a Badass of the first degree.

 

[GiantRedButton]

I'm sorry white folks about your Norse god.

I understand that racism is a two-way street and that it's fucked for anybody to wrong anybody else.

I understand that some of you are very serious about your comics and that some of you are actually neo-pagan and dislike both the comics and the movie, so I just want to say I'm sorry as a black man.

Well thanks alot.
I wouldn't like it if Malcolm X was portrayed as a white dude either. and its never gets addressed in the movie either why he's black.

 

[DSK-]

I thought the guy who played the part did extremely well. I could care less what skin tone he is. He did a good job.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

I'm sorry white folks about your Norse god.

I understand that racism is a two-way street and that it's fucked for anybody to wrong anybody else.

I understand that some of you are very serious about your comics and that some of you are actually neo-pagan and dislike both the comics and the movie, so I just want to say I'm sorry as a black man.

First, I dont particularly like the way you called out all "white folks". It comes across sounding as if every white person had a problem with the actor who played Heimdall. I, for one, thought he did a fantastic job, and every scene he was in were some of my favorites... and I'm white.

That said, I am aware of the issues surrounding his casting, and I personally think they hit it out of the park with their choice.

 

[Sandytimeman]

That's just as retarded as Tom Cruise being the Last Samurai.

Goddamn political correctness bullshit. I didn't even know what there was a movie being made until I clicked this thread, and I can honestly say I'm not interested anyway, black Heimdall or not.
But PC has always pissed me off to no end.
What's next, a movie of the founding fathers of the US with one of them being played be a black dude and another by an indian? Can't go around offending people's delicate little feelings can we? Pfeh. Bullshit.

Yeah, every person who complains about black hiemdall is a retard, because he was one of the best actors in the entire movie. So yeah...

 

[Anggul]

That's just as retarded as Tom Cruise being the Last Samurai.

I think the idea is that the group that he was with were 'The Last Samurai'.

'Samurai' is the plural of 'Samurai'.

I myself only noticed this point a few days ago, I'd never really thought about it before ^^;

 

[T-Bone24]

He's an alien who represents a Norse God. I don't care what colour his skin is. HE IS AN ALIEN.

 

[spectrenihlus]

I'm still upset that Hogun didn't have a mustache.

 

[GeorgW]

I'm sorry white folks about your Norse god.

I understand that racism is a two-way street and that it's fucked for anybody to wrong anybody else.

I understand that some of you are very serious about your comics and that some of you are actually neo-pagan and dislike both the comics and the movie, so I just want to say I'm sorry as a black man.

First off, if you haven't already, watch this. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-big-picture/3183-Skin-Deep]
Other than that, who cares of his race? He's the best actor in the movie, that's the only thing that matters to me, and I'm Swedish, it's my God you're blaspheming. I already did my rant in the commentary of my link, so I'll just stop now.

 

[Vault Citizen]

Yeah, I felt like an idiot when I rocked up with my Mjolnir pendant and then realised it was "based" on heathen lore. And fuck me black Heimdall pissed me off, if I put a Chinese Mohammad in a movie I'd get my arse kicked.

it would be only fair, Aladdin is a chinese tale.

Actually its an arabic tale about Chinese characters and in a chinese setting.

In before black Hobbits.

Also i'm making a movie based on Martin Luther King's life, i'm thinking about casting Christopher Walken as Martin Luther King. Admit it, you want to hear "I Have a Dream" in Christopher Walken's voice.

I'd watch that movie.

I did wonder about a black actor myself, the thing that I wondered was if the Norse myths were based off of humans worshipping these aliens as Gods why would they describe Heimdall as being so white. That stopped being a problem when I remembered how Jesus is usually portrayed in the west. My guess is that they never got good pictures and since the stories were spread by word of mouth they would have just made them look like idealised versions of themselves.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

The giant black dude looked awesome in the gold Heimdall armor, and his voice was perfect for the part. Not casting him would have been worth an apology, not this.

 

[HerbertTheHamster]

I still say that if they cast a black man as the god referred to as "the white" (but what does that matter, all nordic people at the time were completely white), then they could cast an asian jew as Hitler in the next WWII movie.

it would be fucking hilarious

 

[GM.Casper]

He's an alien who represents a Norse God. I don't care what colour his skin is. HE IS AN ALIEN.

The lack of in-universe explanation bugs me. Did Odin decided they must have a token black guy and a token asian or something? If they assumed human forms to fit in with the locals, why pick persons who the local Scandinavians have never seen?

 

[bdcjacko]

Yeah, I felt like an idiot when I rocked up with my Mjolnir pendant and then realised it was "based" on heathen lore. And fuck me black Heimdall pissed me off, if I put a Chinese Mohammad in a movie I'd get my arse kicked.

it would be only fair, Aladdin is a chinese tale.

Actually its an arabic tale about Chinese characters and in a chinese setting.

Yo dawg, I heard you like...you know, if I finish this joke, I'll probably be in trouble.

 

[hermes]

Goddamn political correctness bullshit. I didn't even know what there was a movie being made until I clicked this thread, and I can honestly say I'm not interested anyway, black Heimdall or not.
But PC has always pissed me off to no end.
What's next, a movie of the founding fathers of the US with one of them being played be a black dude and another by an indian? Can't go around offending people's delicate little feelings can we? Pfeh. Bullshit.

The big difference here (other than the fact that race doesn't actually factor in to the character of Heimdall at all, being a god or alien or whatever) is that Heimdall is a fictional character (the Thor movie) based on a fictional character (the Thor comic) based on a mythical figure, that's three levels deep of "It's not real so who the fuck would care if they changed the character abit". The Asgardians in the Thor comics aren't even gods, really. Versus your stupid example of real historical figures.

You should just check the amount of rage with Cowboy Beebop's main character played by Keanu Reeves (and before you complain, he is actually closer to Caucasian than Asian).

Personally, I agree with the original issue (not with the rage associated with it, its just a comic book movie, after all). If they are casting actors for a Norse god (specially one that has been established for the last 50 years), Hollywood should try to find someone that fits the description of the character before checking his acting background. It is not a personal problem with the actor... if he pulled the character off, more power to him, and his performance wasn't distracting to me; but to cast him just to make the asgardians more "diverse" is stupid, its like character whitening in reverse. Next time, they could cast Angelina Jolie as Captain America, Jackie Chan as Bruce Banner and Dwayne Johnson as The Wasp... you know, to make The Avengers more "diverse".