How X-Men Could Do Better

My mom claims she criticizes out of love. And I really love the X-Men.X-Men might have been revolutionary when it first appeared in 1963, but we're now at a point in history where we have to question why a franchise about oppression features mostly straight white dudes.

Borrow From History Accurately

Via science-all.com

When people were complaining about #Donald4Spiderman and Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm, someone should have brought up how truly outrageous it is that the two most famous black activists found their way into comic books as white men. While it's not been confirmed that this is how they started, the comparisons are clear and writer Chris Claremont has admitted that they definitely developed with that in mind.

Admittedly, these two are good representation for some other historically oppressed groups. Magneto is Jewish and Professor Xavier is disabled from time to time (the comic world is nothing if not inconsistent). I am not at all suggesting that we strip these communities of their representation to benefit another, but at the very least, a black disabled man is not terribly unrealistic (smell the sarcasm).

Be True To The Comics

Via geeksout.org

In the X-Men films, badass women who are used to running their own evil organizations are very often relegated to sexy evil sidekick status. This came in the form of Mystique to Magneto in the first series, and Emma Frost to Sebastian Stan in First Class. So Mystique's introduction as a central character with her own character development in First Class was definitely a welcome improvement. However, her character was humanized through her relationships with Professor Xavier and Magneto.

This is a problem because in the comics, Mystique's most significant and humanizing relationships are with her partner, Destiny and her adoptive daughter, Rogue. That's right, Mystique is a badass bisexual mother. I don't know about you, but this complicated family dynamic is far more interesting than whatever weird sexual yet brother/sisterly dynamic she has with Magneto and Professor Xavier in the films.

Less Hugh Jackman

Via science-all.com

Listen, Hugh Jackman is great, he is a hyper-masculine man who frequently trots around singing show tunes on our television. But I think most of us can agree he takes up too much damn space in the X-Men cinematic universe. It was absolutely laughable that he would *snikt* at the end of the Apocalypse trailer as if anyone was surprised he'd be in it.

I'm not against having Wolverine in the movies, but can we stop making him the centre of the cinematic universe? He's taking up space that could be inhabited by characters who come from underrepresented groups. He took Kitty Pryde's spot in Days of Future Past, and he has forever tied Jean Grey's story to him. She was one of, if not the most powerful mutant in history, not just Wolverine's dead lover.

Can't we have Storm as a poster child instead? She's just as popular. Or if you are in desperate need of claws, how about X-23, his gorgeous half-japanese female clone?