What if Lois Lane was Black?

There've been times in the casting process for superhero films that folks have brought up the possibility of the hero being cast as a different nationality, but what about race? And what if were the love interest? Not just any love interest, but the love interest of the most iconic superhero in the world?

Besides the fact that I think Rachel McAdams should get cast as Lois Lane in Man of Steel, are we being too restrictive by only looking at white actresses? As I watch the fourth season of Friday Night Lights and get a regular dose of Jurnee Smollett, I can't help but think about the black actresses over the years that have had that certain fire that Lois Lane needs.

How would this affect the relationship between Lois and Clark/Superman, considering their courtship spanned decades? And should it have an effect at all?

Just something that popped into my head . . .

You mean kind of like this?



Seriously though, I would prefer to see a Superman movie where Lois is a peripheral character, if she's even in the movie at all. I want to see a SUPERMAN movie, not a SUPERMAN & LOIS movie. For a change.

I was hoping we'd get a few more posts into this without someone posting that. >.>

And if there's any superhero movie where the love interest actually adds to it, I think it's Superman. I believe Superman's relationship with Lois says a lot about who he is and his connection to humanity. It's no mistake that pretty much all the stories where Lois gets killed or Superman is otherwise without her that he becomes a ****** or villain.

Oh I'm not saying killer her off or anything, just make a movie that doesn't have the love interest as a central plotline.

I don't really have a problem with it from a "best actress for the role" point of view. Theoretically there's nothing about the role of Lois Lane that requires her to be portrayed as any specific race.

On the other hand it'd almost be like casting a Chinese man in the role of Abraham Lincoln. There'd be nothing strictly "wrong" with it but on the other hand everyone "knows/expects" that any actor playing Abraham Lincoln would probably be more convincing if he were a tall, lanky white man, at least from a historical accuracy point of view.

I'm not suggesting that Lois Lane, a fictional character, be strictly compared to a famous historical figure. But honestly in the case of something as iconic as the characters surrounding Superman I almost think you'd really have to come up with a serious artistic justification to cast Lois with anyone other than a white woman.

So could a black actress play the part and play it effectively? Sure.
I'm just not seeing the overwhelming necessity to make that change just for what might amount to change's sake.

Actually, I was thinking earlier today...

I would like to see an Elseworlds Superman who was black.

Would he be the same paragon of truth, justice and the American way if he was denied the privilege of being white? Growing up black in the 1930s would certainly have given him a different outlook. (Also begs the question of whether you keep Ma and Pa Kent white or also change their ethnicity for the purposes of the story.)

Does he follow the teachings of Dr. King about non-violence? Does he find the Panthers more inspiring? Does he keep his beliefs in America despite the systematic persecution of people who look like him? Does he rise above or does he snap? Does he go the radio show route and go against the KKK?

As to the OP - it entirely depends upon the setting for the movie. In a 'historical' Superman where he lands in Kansas in the 1930s, Lois' being black would be a big deal. If it was set in a more modern era (Clark lands in Kansas in 1980 and is working in Metropolis in the present day) I like to think that it would be a non-issue. Superman is supposed to be a true believer in America, and I don't think Lois' appearance would affect his relationship in any way.

It does open the question as to why its ok to alter some characters but not others. Nick Fury, Kingpin, and the Thor guy seems to be succesfully pulled of by black characters, but when it comes to certain iconics its all of a sudden "No!"

I'd prefer if the characters actually looked like they did in the comics. Be true to source material and all that.

What if Lana Lang was half-Asian?

Well they turned Nick Fury black so I don't see anything inherently wrong with changing up the race of a fictional character to explore different story possibilities.

Here's a reason:

Once they play that card, there's no way they could win.

If you have a black Lois, people will complain about changing the source material too much, and about what it's being changed to. Whether that's morally and ethically correct is irrelevant because it's gonna happen. We're not far enough removed from the Civil Rights movement.

If you decide after one movie to switch her back, another group would be upset about it. I could see casting someone of ambiguous origin, but they won't venture far from European decent. I don't see the point of doing it outside of the shock value.

Unless the producers are out to generate that kind of publicity, they'll never do it.

tl;dr version: Once you go black, you can't go back.