Iron Fist’s Finn Jones Responds To Show’s Diversity Critics

Things are a bit rough for Marvel’s Iron Fist at the moment. The show is slated to premiere […]

September 5, 2017, 7:26pm

Things are a bit rough for Marvel’s Iron Fist at the moment. The show is slated to premiere later this week, but the series is already fraught with controversy. In the last week, reviews of the Netflix title have started trickling in with less-than-stellar insights about Iron Fist. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the show sits with a paltry 14% rating. And, on top of everything, the star of Iron Fist continues to field questions about the show’s diversity issues.

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Of course, the concern isn’t a new one; Fans began to push back against Iron Fist and its casting shortly after Netflix confirmed the show had been ordered. For many, Iron Fist stands as a racially insensitive story that promotes the controversial ‘White Savior’ trope. With Danny Rand being a white male, fans have questioned why Netflix and Marvel couldn’t have retconned the hero to be Asian and do away with any possible ‘White Savior’ connections. Instead, Finn Jones was cast in the role following his exit from Game of Thrones. And, now, the star is asking fans to try out the show before they make an overt judgement.

Speaking to Vulture, Jones was recently asked in an interview about critics who say Iron Fist borrows from racist tropes. Here’s what he had to say:

“There’s so much outrage in the internet these days, right? Why don’t people just — look, the issue is that people are judging before they’ve even seen the show. And that’s problematic. C’mon. Don’t get angry and start a mob when you don’t even — you haven’t even seen the show! You don’t even know what we’re doing with it. It’s unjust. It’s unfair.”

MORE: Iron Fist Review Round-Up

Jones went on to stress he understood the need for greater diversity in entertainment. “”I get it. There needs to be more diversity in film and television, in all f—g aspects of life. There needs to be more diversity, period. Unfortunately, this show was picked, for whatever reason. I don’t fully understand, really, but what I say is, Watch the show. Watch the show, then make your opinions,” he said.

Fifteen years after being presumed dead in a plane crash, Danny Rand (Finn Jones) mysteriously returns to New York City determined to reclaim his birthright and family company. However, when a long-destined enemy rises in New York, this living weapon is forced to choose between his family’s legacy and his duties as the Iron Fist.