At least one star of “Iron Fist” is not happy with terminology used by the co-creator of the comic book character in a recent interview.
Jessica Henwick, who plays Colleen Wing took to Twitter Tuesday afternoon to say, simply: “Oriental is a term used to describe rugs, not people.”
She didn’t name names, but she didn’t have to. Henwick, herself half-Chinese, was clearly addressing Roy Thomas, who caused major backlash after using the term “oriental” to refer to people of Asian descent in a recent interview with Inverse.
In the interview, Thomas, who developed Iron Fist with artist Gil Kane in 1974 while serving as Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief, said that people who complained about white actor Finn Jones being cast in the role had too much time on their hands.
“I have so little patience for some of the feelings that some people have. I mean, I understand where it’s coming from. You know, cultural appropriation, my god. It’s just an adventure story. Don’t these people have something better to do than to worry about the fact that Iron Fist isn’t Oriental, or whatever word? I know Oriental isn’t the right word now, either,” he said.
Um, ouch. Maybe don’t use the word if you know it’s not the “right word.”
The issue of whitewashing was compounded for critics of the new series by the recent revelation that Marvel did in fact audition non-white actors for the role of Danny — who, to be fair, is white in the original comics.
One who came pretty close to getting it was action and stunt actor Lewis Tan, whose stunt credits include “The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” among others. Tan was ultimately cast as a very well-received one-off villain (Marvel baddie Zhou Cheng) for the show’s eighth episode. In fact, Tan’s brief appearance has been singled out as one of the show’s real highlights.
Tan also recently spoke out on why it was a “missed opportunity” on Marvel’s part to not cast an Asian-American Danny Rand.
“It is a missed opportunity. That’s exactly how I feel about it, word for word,” he said. “It would’ve been a brave thing to do, for sure, for Marvel. I can see how that was difficult to make that decision. I think, personally, it would’ve paid off. But I think it’ll come next because people are feeling underrepresented. People are like, “Yo, this was a perfect opportunity to represent us.” They chose not to, and it’s not even their fault.”
All 13 episodes of “Iron Fist” is now streaming on Netflix.
10 Most Epic TV Superhero Moments in 2016, From 'Arrow' to 'Luke Cage' (Photos)
Heartbreaking deaths, noble sacrifices, network moves and crossover events, superheroes sure have had a roller coaster of a year.
"Supergirl" flies to The CW In a rare move, CBS relinquished the rights to its only superhero drama, allowing the Kryptonian to join her CW brethren.
The CW
Mariah kills Cottonmouth, "Luke Cage" Mahershala Ali's villain met an abrupt and violent end when he goaded Luke Cage's politician cousin too hard, causing her to snap and throw him out a window -- and then beat him to death with a microphone stand. Ouch.
Netflix
The death of Black Canary, "Arrow" After a season-long mystery about "Who's in the grave?" the answer was revealed and devastated fans and other characters alike. The loss of Laurel Lance has left a void in the Arrowverse that's still gaping -- though her mysterious reappearance in the "Arrow" midseason finale may shake things up.
The CW
Staircase fight, "Daredevil" The hallway fight in Season 1 of "Daredevil" set the tone for the quality of the Marvel Netflix series, and the showrunners managed to top it in Season 2 with another long-take gem, this time involving dizzying staircase elements.
Netflix
When Barry met Kara, "Supergirl" Before the monster Arrowverse crossover brought Supergirl over to The CW, The Flash visited her in National City, marking a rare cross-network crossover event that delighted fans and opened the doors to so many possibilities.
CBS
"Agent Carter" canceled Despite a passionate fan base and a move to a more budget-friendly location (Hollywood) in Season 2, ABC couldn't find a way to give the world more "Agent Carter." Even star Hayley Atwell is hoping this is not the end of Peggy Carter.
ABC
Lincoln's sacrifice, "Agents of SHIELD" The Season 3 finale of ABC's Marvel series took no prisoners, killing off both Luke Mitchell's character, Lincoln, and Brett Dalton's agent-turned-villain, Ward, leaving Chloe Bennet's Daisy distraught and alone on the lam.
ABC
Legends of SuperFlarrow More than a dozen DC comic book characters appeared on screen together when The CW tackled its most ambitious crossover yet, bringing together the heroes of "Arrow," "The Flash," "Supergirl" and "Legends of Tomorrow."
The CW
A new brand of vigilante arrives, "Sweet/Vicious" Forget superpowered comic book characters, the newest heroes on the street are all about taking down campus rapists, making Jules and Ophelia the superhero team the world needs right now.
MTV
The return of Joker? ("Gotham") He was killed off on the show in 2015, but Cameron Monaghan seemed to hint his Joker wasn't done terrorizing the city in a tweeted-and-deleted photo.
Fox
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TheWrap Best & Worst 2016: Here are the most explosive twists in comic-book-based series this year (Spoilers ahead!)
Heartbreaking deaths, noble sacrifices, network moves and crossover events, superheroes sure have had a roller coaster of a year.