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"Captain America. Spider-Man. Superman. Batman. All these superheroes have at least one thing in common \u2014 they're unequivocally, indisputably, undeniably white. \nIt's not so surprising, when you consider the fact that most comic book writers are white males. But changes are starting to take place. Marvel, one of the \"Big Two\" comic publishers (the other being DC Comics), recently made plans to make Thor a woman and Captain America black, part of an aggressive play to be more inclusive and thoughtful of their audience members who aren't white dudes.\nAnd it's really about time.\nSee also: 19 Kickass Lady Superheroes You Should Know More About\n\nRead exclusive comments from @Remender &amp; @TomBrevoort about the #AllNewCaptainAmerica: http://t.co/48PgAL2m7n pic.twitter.com/87NnsOFNSj\n\u2014 Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) July 17, 2014\n\nIt's 2014 and our fiction is as stuck in the past as our reality when it comes to race relations. To make things worse, superhero movies are dominating the box office right now, but hardly any of them have a lead character who isn't white. \nA study conducted by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism delved deep into diversity statistics for major films released in 2007-2010 and 2012-2013. Research shows only 25.9% of speaking characters in 600 popular films were minorities. No matter how you look at it, that's a ghastly figure. \nIt's nothing new, part of an ongoing problem in Hollywood that caters to an audience of 18- to 35-year-old males. But just this past year, the Motion Picture Association of America reported that 52% of all moviegoers are women. Furthermore, a study at UCLA showed that films with a more diverse cast (specifically, 21% to 30% non-white) earned more revenue.\nSee also: Nice Try, Hollywood, But a Female Superhero Won't Solve Your Gender Problem\nTo be a white male watching a superhero movie is to see yourself represented in an abundance of ways. For the nerdy, mousey types, there's Spider-Man. For the playboy wannabes, there's Batman and Iron Man. For the classic, \"All-American\" types (a thinly veiled way of saying blond with blue eyes), look no further than Captain America. There's even a hero from another planet \u2014 but don't worry, he's still got pale skin, with glinting blue eyes and raven-black hair \u2014 welcome to Earth, Superman.\nTo be a minority heading to the theater is to see quick flashes of yourself in Nick Fury, Heimdall, Storm and Blink. There was the (dreadful) Halle Berry-fronted Catwoman, but she was swiftly replaced by Anne Hathaway in the last Dark Knight installment. The new Guardians of the Galaxy gave us Zoe Saldana as Gamora, but unlike other superhero aliens, such as Superman, she's completely green \u2014 you have to look beyond the body paint to remember she's played by an Afro-Latina actress. \n\nActress Zoe Saldana plays superhero Gamora in 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'Image:  MarvelHollywood needs to learn to put its money where its mouth is. If the aim is to get big returns on superhero films, why not engage in more diverse casting, statistically guaranteeing more money? It's essential in this age of superhero onslaught, where every other blockbuster film stars a Peter Parker here, and a Tony Stark there.\nThere is no shortage of diverse comic book stars to choose from. Studios are sitting on a veritable treasure trove of ass-kicking superheroes deserving of a plush film deal. Here are just a few we would love to see in theaters. \n\n\nDiverse Superheroes\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. Ms. Marvel \n\nIn February 2013, Marvel Comics released a new series called Ms. Marvel, starring a Muslim girl named Kamala Khan. \nShe's just a regular teenage girl -- with the ability to shape-shift into anything. Author G. Willow Wilson, who converted to Islam as a young adult, told The New York Times that Khan is \"strong, beautiful and doesn't have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and 'different.'\"\nKhan would make a superb addition to the world of superhero flicks, adding a splash of youthful insouciance. She could easily ride the wave of blockbuster action heroines before her, like Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games and Tris Prior of the Divergent trilogy. \n\n\nImage:  Marvel Comics\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Collen Wing and Mercedes \"Misty\" Knight \n\nJust look at this duo. The stance, the attitude, the style -- it's like a long-lost still from a Quentin Tarantino film. Colleen Wing and Misty Knight are begging to star in a high-octane flick.\nWing (left) is Japanese, and has the power of supernatural strength, fast self-healing and withstanding harsh temperatures. Knight is African-American, trained in martial arts, and has super strength and a bionic arm. \nThe duo, introduced in 1977, are best friends who starred together in a short, 2005 series called Daughters of the Dragon. \n\n\nImage:  Edward Liu\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Miles Morales \n\nSpider-Man is a restless hero. In 2011, Marvel killed off the beloved Peter Parker, making room for a new hero to step into the red and blue suit (albeit, in an alternate universe). \nEnter Miles Morales, a half-African-American, half-Latino teen. Writer Brian Michael Bendis told USA Today he was partially inspired to design Morales after African-American actor Donald Glover. Back in 2010, fans campaigned for Glover to play Spider-Man in the upcoming film adaptation.\nMorales essentially has the same powers as Parker: spider sense, super strength, web-shooting. Andrew Garfield, the actor currently donning the spidey suit on the big screen, has already given his blessing for a Morales film, telling Comic Book Resources that the new character is a \"beautiful and important move.\" When the franchise gets its inevitable reboot 10 years from now, we vote for Morales to be its new face. \n\n\nImage:  Marvel Comics\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. The Green Turtle\n\nBack in 1944, artist Chu F. Hing created the first Asian-American superhero: The Green Turtle. \nHowever, when Hing wanted to make the superhero Asian, his bosses denied the request. Hing essentially said, \"Screw that,\" and made the hero Asian anyway. To hide it from his bosses, he drew the character so he was constantly hiding his face, turning his back to the reader and living in the shadows. For the comic's five-issue run, readers couldn't even tell that the Turtle, named Hank, was actually Asian. \nHank is quite literally an unsung hero, and his story is the stuff of comic legend. A big-screen portrayal can take over the retro terrain so popularly portrayed in the Captain America series. When else will you get to see an Asian lead starring in a 1940s film? Hank can offer viewers, particularly the harshly underrepresented Asian demographic, someone new to root for.\n\n\nImage:  Amazon\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Jubilee\n\nOften portrayed as Wolverine's sidekick, Jubilee (real name Jubilation Lee) is a Chinese-American teen who frequents the mall. \nHer parents were affluent immigrants, sending her to school in Beverly Hills. However, they're killed early on in her story, throwing her into a life of petty theft and street performance until she's rescued by the X-Men. The heroine has the ability to deflect telepathic attacks and absorb and generate intense energy, or what she calls \"fireworks.\" She later loses these superpowers, but gets infected with a virus that turns her into a vampire. \nIn the rebooted X-Men and Wolverine origin flicks, Jubilee is reduced to cameo appearances. However, with more X-Men and Wolverine films in the works, there's a golden opportunity for Jubilee to give a proper silver-screen debut. \n\n\nImage: Flickr, GerGauss\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. Victor Mancha\n\nHalf-Latino cyborg Victor Mancha is the son of Marvel villain Ultron, and the grandson of superhero Hank Pym, a.k.a. Ant-Man. Talk about an interesting bloodline. \nIntroduced in 2005, Mancha is an Avenger, and recently starred in a 12-issue series called Avengers A.I.. It starred a team of other superhero robots, two of whom are minorities, named Monica Chang and Alexis. The group lives in a technopocalyptic world, protecting people in the war against technology and humans. \nThough the series was cancelled due to low sales, its heroes and plotline are ripe for Hollywood. Diversity, superpowers and an apocalypse? That's the stuff of box office dreams. \n\n\nImage: Imgur, AbortedWalrusFetus\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. Nubia\n\nHere's a comic fun fact: Wonder Woman, a.k.a. Diana Prince, had a twin named Nubia. Just like Prince, Nubia was molded out of clay, created to be the heroine's black sister. \nHowever, Nubia was kidnapped and raised by Mars, who controlled her mind and trained her to be an evil warrior. She and Wonder Woman go head-to-head in one issue, only to realize they're evenly matched. \nNubia essentially shares her sister's powers: superhuman strength, speed, stamina and the ability to fly. She also has a magical sword, unlike Prince, who wields her trademark lasso. \nIt's already been a struggle to bring Wonder Woman to the big screen, so Nubia has that going against her. But if WW ever does get that  solo deal, Nubia deserves to share her sister's spotlight.\n\n\nImage:  deviantART, Zal-Ta-TalOS\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\n      window._msla=window.loadScriptAsync||function(src,id){if(document.getElementById(id))return;var js=document.createElement('script');js.id=id;js.src=src;document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0].parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);};\n_msla(\"//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\",\"twitter_jssdk\");"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/08/25/diverse-superheroes/>