I think the first and most important question in this is "why the change?"
Really, that right there forms the split in opinion of the racists and the fans who see the change as yet another in a long list of Hollywood selling out bullshit.
Generally, fans are outraged by nearly any change in characters they like, from the blonde Bond to cowboy bloodrein. You can't just assume that people who nit pick over every trivial detail in general are doing so on this one just because it is race related. Any attempt to say that is dishonest.
If the sole reason for the change is to fill diversity quotas or expel whatever guilty conscious the casting team has, then expect people to rage over this like the bullshit it is. Hell, expect people who are black to get upset that all the company can do for black heroes is a skin color change. It would be the most obvious of pandering attempts and should be treated like such. If the reason they made the change was to give it more diverse feel, then everyone should hate the decision. It would devalue the characters, the source material and even race itself in the attempt.
Now, if this was done because the actor could capture the spirit of the character better, or it is an exploration of the characters in a different setting, scenario or to explore what may have made characters into the personalities they are known and loved for today, then I would give it a pass for the most part. I can easily see how any of the FF could be changed in race under the idea of a modern reboot and done so in a way that would fit the character and actually work with the source material. With Ben, for instance, they could use his change from a black man into a, well, thing as a sort of commentary about how far and how short society has come and perspectives being influenced by preconceived notions based on race, as well as initial impulse on something we don't understand or can't safely categorize right away. They could do this with literally 5 minutes of footage, hell even done so with humor as a joke, if handled right and that alone would justify the change in race to me.
For Johnny, well, I always recall him as an asshole of sorts, flashy, show off and oblivious to others. I can see race being used both as a means to explain his attitude and personality as well as how his character would change and grow after he gets his powers. Hell, you could make it a subplot similar to how you could make Ben's, where when his powers are active, you can't see race and people have to form new opinions on something they have no reference for only to have them be challenged by old preconceptions once the powers are off. There is a lot they could do with this, if they sought to.
But, in all honesty, I really doubt this was anything but a PR decision to appeal to a demographic they usually don't pander to directly. So anyone crying racist to people objecting to that need to shut it.
Really, that right there forms the split in opinion of the racists and the fans who see the change as yet another in a long list of Hollywood selling out bullshit.
Generally, fans are outraged by nearly any change in characters they like, from the blonde Bond to cowboy bloodrein. You can't just assume that people who nit pick over every trivial detail in general are doing so on this one just because it is race related. Any attempt to say that is dishonest.
If the sole reason for the change is to fill diversity quotas or expel whatever guilty conscious the casting team has, then expect people to rage over this like the bullshit it is. Hell, expect people who are black to get upset that all the company can do for black heroes is a skin color change. It would be the most obvious of pandering attempts and should be treated like such. If the reason they made the change was to give it more diverse feel, then everyone should hate the decision. It would devalue the characters, the source material and even race itself in the attempt.
Now, if this was done because the actor could capture the spirit of the character better, or it is an exploration of the characters in a different setting, scenario or to explore what may have made characters into the personalities they are known and loved for today, then I would give it a pass for the most part. I can easily see how any of the FF could be changed in race under the idea of a modern reboot and done so in a way that would fit the character and actually work with the source material. With Ben, for instance, they could use his change from a black man into a, well, thing as a sort of commentary about how far and how short society has come and perspectives being influenced by preconceived notions based on race, as well as initial impulse on something we don't understand or can't safely categorize right away. They could do this with literally 5 minutes of footage, hell even done so with humor as a joke, if handled right and that alone would justify the change in race to me.
For Johnny, well, I always recall him as an asshole of sorts, flashy, show off and oblivious to others. I can see race being used both as a means to explain his attitude and personality as well as how his character would change and grow after he gets his powers. Hell, you could make it a subplot similar to how you could make Ben's, where when his powers are active, you can't see race and people have to form new opinions on something they have no reference for only to have them be challenged by old preconceptions once the powers are off. There is a lot they could do with this, if they sought to.
But, in all honesty, I really doubt this was anything but a PR decision to appeal to a demographic they usually don't pander to directly. So anyone crying racist to people objecting to that need to shut it.