What's with All the White Dudes?: A Dueling Marvel Fandom and Diversity

 

Figure 1: This image is from the movie the Eternals which was Disney’s attempt to provide diverse representation. (https://www.cbr.com/eternals-angelina-jolie-questions-why-so-long-diverse-mcu-film/) 

Marvel movie storylines feature protagonists like Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, and the list goes on, but what do all of these characters have in common? Well, everything. They are almost all straight, white dudes. While there are so many beloved characters that call the Marvel Universe home, many more diverse Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) characters don’t make their way to the big screen at all. Still, audiences flock to theatres to see their favorite straight, white guy conquer the forces of devastation in dramatic superhuman fashion. 

Consequently, the fans of these characters love to be fans, and they love to share their fandom. Through the subreddit, r/marvelstudios, fans can share this love with fellow fans. They can even use this space to discuss topics that are important to them, like diversity. 

Yet, there is a chasm in the Marvel fandom. While the cinematic blockbusters known as superhero movies are relatively new to the big screen beginning with the release of Xmen in 2000 with large budgets and costly special effects landing, in typical superhero fashion, solidly in the new millenium, fans of the original comic have been loyal for much longer with Marvel #1 published in 1939, yet it wasn’t until the launch of The Fantastic Four in 1961 that the Marvel Era began. 

This significant generation gap and the differences in the film adaptations as compared to the comics has caused an aggressive discourse of those who have a relationship with the original material, the original generation (OGs), and those whose connection to Marvel began later with the movies, the newer generation (newbies). 

However, this is only the beginning of the generational, genre-based divide with differences centered as much in budget as in rhetorical position in various social climates throughout the years and the values of popular audiences. Once limited to the 2D static space of pages of illustrations, now, Disney wants us to see the biggest battles fought on the big screen.

If the biggest battles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) were thought to happen on screen, Reddit proves otherwise. There, Marvel fans argue over new heroes shaking up the status quo, debate about representation, and emphatically defend the franchise.  Regardless of the topic, one thing is certain: Marvel fans don’t hold back. Thus, this blog post dives into the wild, sometimes messy, always passionate world of Marvel fandom online and what it reveals about how fans feel when the universe evolves.   

Context

Reddit, as a platform, offers fans on Reddit opportunities to discuss plots, characters, spoilers, theories, actors and actresses, and much more. They can also share fan art, links to fanfiction, pictures of cosplay, memes, videos, and really just about anything their heart desires. Plus, threaded discussions and preserved past discussions make viewing conversations easier. Such capabilities of Reddit are great for discussion, even topics that might hit close to home like diversity. This is why each Reddit page has community guidelines to keep people in check. 

However, Reddit users have usernames that are not similar to names these people might use, and their profile pictures are not reflective of who these people are either. Instead, they use various pictures of characters or avatars to create their online identity. It is difficult to determine the real-world identity of specific fandom commenters in this situation because many of the users on this platform choose to remain anonymous, prompting egotistical word vomit that spirals into troves of meaninglessness. However, there is light in the darkness

Key Actors

Over the last several years, the diversity discussion has been an ongoing push and pull between Marvel fans, Disney, and projected profit margins. The discussion is not limited to fans participating in the discourse found on the r/marvelstudios subreddit. Fans voiced their opinions all over various social media platforms and blog spaces. 

While these fans and those on other platforms loudly voice opinions, executives at Disney and Marvel also shape what representation ultimately looks like on screen. Historically, Marvel’s leadership structure has had a major influence on how diversity unfolds. Under the control of Isaac Perlmutter, who served as CEO of Marvel Entertainment before Kevin Feige, Marvel was known for being hesitant to center women or people of color in lead roles. When Feige gained more creative control as President of Marvel Studios, this trend began to shift (Holloway and Donnelly).  

Meanwhile, on r/marvelstudios, fans, including this anonymous user, also stick up for the diversity effort on Disney's behalf: "The majority of MCU heroes are white men, but Disney is certainly not doing the worst job at diversity, even if it feels forced and tokenistic, sometimes" (MentalRooster4455). 

Finally, even platform algorithms act as invisible participants in this ecosystem. Reddit’s upvote system and comment visibility influence which perspectives rise to prominence, effectively shaping the narrative of what “the fandom” believes. In this way, the debate over diversity in the MCU is not just about characters or creators; it’s about a whole network of negotiating the future of this storytelling.

Social Media Presence 

When it comes to online practices, MCU fans have many similar behaviors to other fandoms and groups. For one, they analyze whether depictions of diversity are good or bad. They critique and analyze specific shows or films with respect to representation, storytelling, and character development.  

And, as is typical with many other fandoms, they also argue frequently. In response to a question posted by fewntug regarding whether diversity should be increased through a major character, the conversation quickly goes from casual discourse to argument in several places. User XOpelX starts with, “Diversity isn’t an important thing. Casting actors that match up to their comic book counterparts is what’s important. Going out of the way to change someone just to do it takes away from the point of all this” (fewntug).  

This is then followed by other comments, one from a now-deleted user who presses the importance of diversity, and one from GregThePrettyGoodGuy who simply says of XOpelX’s opinion, “So, those first two sentences are like, the opposite of the truth, just letting you know” (fewntug).  

Similarly, user fewntug argues with a deleted user about diversity having some influence in casting. When the deleted user cites the importance of acting ability, fewntug retorts back, “No shit you have to go with acting ability lol.  I’m not saying throw common sense out the window, I’m saying widen the casting to include not just white actors. That’s literally it…Why that is a problem to you at all is weird to me haha.”  

Despite these similarities, there are differences in MCU fan practices as well. First, there is often more explicit references to issues like cultural appropriation or tokenism. User xx-nocontrol-xx commented, “with all the new mcu stuff coming out, i just need to address this: the mcu uses the same scheme for racial diversity in every single movie.”  The user goes on to point out that many movies are guilty of creating the appearance of equality by having a while lead paired with a diverse supporting best friend, as is found with Tony Stark (Rhodes), Peter Parker (MJ and Ned), Thor (Heimdall), and many others (xx-nocontrol-xx).  

Another clear difference is in the presence of discussions about who is behind the camera. In a discussion posted by a deleted user about the lack of diversity in Marvel for the last 10 years, users have an extensive discussion about who has been in control of Marvel and how this affects diversity issues. Users debate the effect of Isaac Perlmutter’s control of Marvel Entertainment versus Kevin Feige’s reign, and in this sense, discuss how diversity is handled by officers in charge.  

In terms of diversity itself in the MCU, fan activists seem to have several goals in mind. Many hope to see diversity represented across multiple dimensions, including race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, and ability. Additionally, they want portrayals that feel meaningful and that avoid stereotypes, tokenism, or diversity that seems forced. They don’t hesitate to critique when “diverse” characters are introduced but treated shallowly.  

For example, user knotsteve commented, “I don’t want to see a white-men-plus-tokens-only superhero universe just because I’m a middle-aged white guy and that’s how comics were when I was a kid. I want to see a Marvel universe that reflects the diverse world I live in” (DeathTriangle720).

Others, like user wallcrawlingspidey, speak to the importance of representation: “I’m Black and was over the moon along with my family when we watched Black Panther in theaters…Everyone should be able to experience that same beautiful feeling of knowing they matter and should be able to look at themselves in a hero and say ‘That can be me’” (DeathTriangle720).  

Still other fans hope, implicitly or explicitly, that through their online discussions, Marvel will do better in diverse representation. Yet, fans are not afraid to discuss these issues regarding diversity on Reddit, and have become so comfortable that users are not afraid to speak up when other users are being incorrect or insensitive. 

In one discussion post titled, “Is it problematic that a white will still lead and be the most powerful member of Marvel’s most diverse ever superhero team in Eternals?” (Mental_Rooster4455). The very first comment is from u/Anonymous__, “Imagine being so prejudiced you have to ask this question.” This comment effortlessly shows the fearlessness of users on Reddit and how easy it is for them to call someone out. 

Perhaps this discussion thread could have turned a bit more civil and open to true dialogue if the question was not worded with such bias. Many users take the more generic approach to opening a discussion, they title their discussions like, “Diverse Nationalities in the MCU,” (murdockmanila) or “Marvel and Diversity” (AmbitiousSweet4614). However a drawback to this kind of title is perhaps some people may not click on it to see the discussion unless there is an emotional response like what can be inferred happened with the first example discussion thread (“Is it problematic…”). 

Offline Presence

There has been a strong Marvel fandom since before the internet was ever invented. The OGs of the Marvel Comics Universe have a completely different frame of reference for the Marvel Universe than what is apparent within the cinema universe. While theatrical audiences are used to heavy hitting storylines with classically and canonically white American characters, comic readers have long favored storylines with diversity. 

While many of the characters that newbie fans see as adaptations of white characters, OGs see characters like Miles Morales’ Spiderman as separate from Peter Parker’s Spiderman, each with individual storylines that add to the mythology of Spiderman in unique ways, as opposed to seeing them as being a “diversity hire” to placate noisy fans. Mr_Wolfsky asserts, “when [characters] are not done right they are not Iron Heart, War Machine, Cho..etc They are "asian Hulk!" "Black female Iron Man!" "Asian LGBT War Machine!"..etc”

However, in the face of accusations of forced diversity on Disney’s behalf, IllestMotherF_cker points out “A movie like the eternals was heavily criticised for including "Forced diversity" (in comparison to the comics) when in reality, a country like America is filled to the bezel with diversity and the Earth is generally diverse so beings made to represent the Earth and the people on it would have to have diverse Ethnic identities or else it would be forced indiversity.”

Although I am unsure of what a “bezel” is, I can understand the signifier “indiversity” as limiting casting of certain roles to character types that are most likely to pull larger audiences, and so, issue a significantly higher return on the millions of dollars Disney coughs up to produce a feature length film. 

Yet, looking behind the scenes, Miriam Kent identifies diversity happening off camera and ethical narratives rooted in the storyline representing identities that are indigenous, even if alien, as compared to a white supremecist version of Asgard. 

“Thor: Ragnarok was the first MCU film to be directed by a non-white person Taika Waititi. A New Zealander of Māori and Russian-Jewish descent, Waititi also voiced the comedic alien character Korg. Waititi’s authorial presence was highlighted within media discourses, both pre- and post- release, with emphasis on his indigenous heritage, the film’s use of indigenous actors and small references to indigenous Australian and New Zealand culture throughout” (236). However, diversity on-screen is not as simple for Disney executives.

Conclusion

In the midst of all of fandom upheaval over a politically polarizing topic, we start to see commenters identifying the roots of the miscommunication, many looking to the generational gap between comics and movies and claiming that perhaps we’re moving backwards in terms of inclusion of diverse representation in the Marvel Universe.

While the split along generational genres in the Marvel fandom is evident, there is much to be said about simply impacting the discourse. Ethical composition in public spaces is a social act of rebellion. Marvel fans approach these conversations about diversity in Marvel and the MCU in a multitude of ways, but the bottom line is that users want to share their opinion, hear ideas from others, and the fundamentally anonymous users on r/marvelstudios are not afraid to assert their opinions and call people out.  

Contributors: Celia Cooley, Bridget Benson, and Dani Fitch

Works Cited

AmbitiousSweet4614. “Marvel and Diversity.”  r/marvelstudios, Reddit. 3 years ago. Accessed 10 Oct 2025. https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/weh8ev/marvel_and_diversity/. 

DeathTriangle720.  “Do You Care for Representation and Diversity in Marvel?”  r/marvelstudios, Reddit.  3 years ago.  Accessed 10 Oct 2025.  https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/zb1nyk/do_you_care_for_representation_and_diversity_in/.

Fewntug.  “Increasing Diversity in the MCU thru a Major Character?”  r/marvelstudios, Reddit.  7 years ago.  Accessed 10 Oct 2025.  https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/9a9uaj/increasing_diversity_in_the_mcu_thru_a_major/.

Holloway, Daniel, and Matt Donnelly.  “Kevin Feige’s Marvel Promotion a Loss for Ike Perlmutter in Disney War.”  Variety, 22 Oct 2019, https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/kevin-feige-ike-perlmutter-marvel-disney-1203377802/. Accessed 12 Oct 2025.  

IllestMotherf_cker. “My thoughts on race swapping.” r/marvelstudios, Reddit. 2 years ago. Accessed 09 Oct 2025. www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/1aob212/my_thoughts_on_race_swapping/

Kent, Miriam. “The (Afro)Future of a Diverse Marvel: Gender, Race and Empire in Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther Book Title: Women in Marvel Films.” Edinburgh University Press, 2021, pp 233-259. www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctv1hm8hmv.15

MentalRooster4455. “Is it problematic that a white man will still lead and be the most powerful member of Marvel’s most diverse ever superhero team in Eternals?” r/marvelstudios, Reddit. 4 years ago. Accessed 09 Oct 2025. www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/qjbvmn/is_it_problematic_that_a_white_man_will_still/

murdockmanila.  “Diverse Nationalities in the MCU.”  r/marvelstudios, Reddit.  12 years ago.  Accessed 9 Oct 2025.  https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/27d35i/diverse_nationalities_in_the_mcu/

Schafer, Sandy. “Eternals' Angelina Jolie Questions Why It Took So Long for Such a Diverse MCU Film.” Comic Book Resources. Valnet Publishing Group. 20 Oct 2021. Accessed 16 Oct 2025. www.cbr.com/eternals-angelina-jolie-questions-why-so-long-diverse-mcu-film/

“Why Do People Ignore Marvel’s Lack of Diversity of the Last 10 Years?”  r/marvelstudios, Reddit.  5 years ago.  Accessed 10 October 2025.  https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/mvt8fb/why_do_people_ignore_marvels_lack_of_diversity/

Xx-nocontrol-xx.  “With All the New MCU Stuff Coming Out, I Just Need to Address This: The MCU Uses the Same Scheme for Racial Diversity in Every Single Movie.”  r/marvelstudios, Reddit.  4 years ago.  Accessed 10 October 2025.  https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/nzx5zq/with_all_the_new_mcu_stuff_coming_out_i_just_need/.