Easy enough, because we already have it. Marvel Comics has made amazing strides in representation in the past few years. What's stopping diverse heroes from coming to the big screen?
(Avengers: Infinity War spoilers ahead)
“Why do super-powered genetic mutations select white people almost exclusively?"
Great question. If we should avoid editing established characters to be diverse, but all the Avengers are white and straight, where can we pull diverse heroes from?
Well, conveniently, Marvel Studios seems to be killing off a lot of their current cast.
As far as I can tell, the deaths of Infinity War, the third Avengers film, went in a terrible direction. A lot of diverse characters got the axe. Off the top of my head, T'Challa/Black Panther, Wanda/Scarlet Witch, Gamora, Mantis, and Nick Fury. Given the film contracts for some of these "dead" characters, it seems likely enough these roles will be reprised somehow. But that's an entirely separate rabbit hole we can go down another time.
I'm operating under the assumption that the Avengers are about to be thinned out even more in the upcoming Avengers 4 film. Spots that will need to be filled, and there are a great deal of unique, minority characters waiting in the Marvel Comics lineup.
POSSIBLE ADDITIONS TO MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE
The following are popular heroes, a brief list that is by no means all-encompassing of interesting characters with potential for great storytelling.
Who knows who else? The world is vast. Hire diverse creators, and they will tell their own stories.
When the hero you want to see doesn't exist...write them. Write the stories you want to read, and create the heroes you wish you had.
THE POINT OF ADDING THESE HEROES
Again, the point of representation is not to fulfill a diversity checklist or appease "identity politics." These are popular, interesting characters that will make interesting stories. It comes down to authenticity and particularity, qualities which these characters can fulfill for a lot of people. It just so happens that their presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will make a lot of underrepresented people—including me—very happy.
And for the record, here are some great examples of Marvel Studio's progressive move toward more diversity:
SEE PART FIVE: THE BUSINESS MARVEL AND THE BUSINESS OF CHANGE
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