Iron Fist’s Showrunner Didn’t Hear About Its Controversy Until Casting Finished

This week, Netflix will bring its next solo Marvel series to life with Iron Fist. The mystical martial artist will be brought to life under Finn Jones, a former Game of Thrones lead who jump from Westeros to K’un Lun and then New York. Following after the likes of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, Iron Fist has a name to live up to as Netflix’s previous Marvel projects have earned rave reviews. But, in the past couple of weeks, Iron Fist has found itself floundering in the light of one socially charged controversy.

Just like its comic, Marvel’s Iron Fist has become a hot-topic because of its uncomfortable racial boundaries. Hollywood continues to come under fire for misrepresenting or outright excluding diversity in its products, and many fans were outraged when Marvel Studios sided with Netflix on an unpopular casting choice. An online campaign was in full-force before Iron Fist began production which asked the studios to hire an Asian-American actor to play Danny Rand. However, Jones was ultimately brought in for the part, leaving sects to accuse Iron Fist of using the ‘White Savior’ trope.

However, it seems like much of this backlash is new to the project’s showrunner. When speaking to The Daily Beast, Scott Buck stressed he was not made aware of fans’ desire to see a non-white actor portray Danny Rand until after Jones had been cast.

“To me it was just about finding the best actor for that,” Buck told the site. “It wasn’t until after we cast Finn that I became aware that there had been, you know, some controversy over that.”

“I understood where it was coming from,” he continued, “but we just weren’t thinking in that way, at least I certainly wasn’t. I was just concentrating on the story and who would be a great actor to play this character.”

The showrunner did go on to say Iron Fist‘s team “certainly wanted to avoid any stereotypes” when it came to characterization. So, for now, fans will have to wait and see whether Netflix’s new superhero venture delivers on that promise.

Up Next: Iron Fist Review Round-Up

In Marvel’s Iron Fist, 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.

Based on the Marvel Comics character created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Marvel’s Iron Fist is developed by Scott Buck, who serves as the series showrunner. Iron Fist stars Finn Jones as Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, as well as Jessica Henwick, David Wenham, Jessica Stroup, Tom Pelphrey, and Rosario Dawson.

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