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Iron Fist: Marvel writer outraged over Games of Thrones actor Finn Jones casting in Netflix show

'Iron Fist is an orientalist-white-man-yellow-fever narrative'

Jack Shepherd
Monday 29 February 2016 12:45 EST
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Marvel’s choice to have Games of Thrones actor Finn Jones star as the titular hero in their Netflix series Iron Fist has proved controversial, with many fans believing an Asian actor should have been cast as Danny Rand.

Dark Wolverine and X-23 comic book writer Marjorie Liu has since gone out of her way to criticise the move, slamming the superhero giants on Twitter.

She wrote: “Iron Fist is an orientalist-white-man-yellow-fever narrative. Asian actor would have helped subvert that offensive trope, and reclaim space.”

Earlier in the year she stated how, if they did cast a “white dude” as the superhero, she wouldn’t watch the show.

In the comics, Iron Fist is a white male who practices martial arts and wields a force known as the Iron Fist that allows him to focus his chi.

Many fans believed this would be the perfect time to have an Asian actor as the lead in a Marvel series, injecting some much-needed diversity into the MCU.

After starring in a solo-Netflix series as Iron Fist, the character will team up with other Netflix heroes Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage in a miniseries titled Defenders.

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