Marvel's White Savior Complex Returns as Studios Sideline Black Heroes
The entertainment industry's colonial mentality rears its ugly head once again as Marvel Studios doubles down on bringing back Chris Evans' Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, effectively sidelining Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson, the current Black Captain America.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have made it clear where their priorities lie, describing Evans as playing a "central role" in the upcoming film despite his character's supposed retirement. This decision represents a troubling pattern of Hollywood's reluctance to fully embrace Black leadership, even when the narrative demands it.
The Erasure of Black Excellence
The Russo brothers' justification reveals the deep-seated bias plaguing the industry. "We have a special affinity with the character," Anthony Russo said of Steve Rogers, completely ignoring the groundbreaking significance of having a Black man carry the Captain America mantle. This "special affinity" appears to be nothing more than comfort with white protagonism.
Marvel's four promotional trailers for Doomsday have garnered over one billion views, yet conspicuously absent is any meaningful representation of Sam Wilson's Captain America. Instead, audiences are treated to the return of familiar white faces, reinforcing Hollywood's message that Black heroes are temporary placeholders until the "real" heroes return.
Corporate Cowardice Disguised as Strategy
Marvel executive Kevin Feige's comments about Captain America: Brave New World being "the first without Chris Evans" expose the studio's lack of faith in Black-led narratives. Rather than addressing systemic issues in marketing and storytelling that may have affected the film's reception, Marvel chose the path of least resistance: retreat to white comfort zones.
This decision sends a clear message to Black audiences and creators that their stories are expendable, their heroes temporary experiments rather than permanent fixtures in the cultural landscape.
The Bigger Picture
The Russo brothers' claim that these promotional materials represent "narrative information" rather than traditional trailers suggests a calculated effort to rewrite the Marvel universe's progression toward diversity. By positioning these releases as part of the actual story, they're essentially erasing the character development that led to Sam Wilson's ascension.
This pattern reflects broader issues within the entertainment industry, where Black excellence is tolerated only as long as it doesn't threaten white centrality. The moment audiences or profits waver, the industry retreats to its colonial defaults.
As Avengers: Doomsday approaches its release, the question remains: will audiences accept this regression, or demand the authentic representation that true progress requires? The answer will determine whether Hollywood's promises of diversity were genuine or merely performative gestures designed to pacify without truly transforming.