Wall Street Journal on Why We Need a Black Batman

I just read a very interesting article on the Wall Street Journal’s website about why we need a female Thor and a black Batman. The article was written by entertainment journalist Michael Calia and I have to say his reasoning is sound and I don’t think I would mind a black Batman. Actually, in Just Imagine Stan Lee, Batman was black, and his name was Wayne Williams. The following is a sample of what Mr. Calia had to say on the need for a black Batman:

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"Once upon a time in America, particularly back when Bob Kane created Batman in 1939, it might have been a stretch to think of a wealthy black tycoon secretly posing as a masked vigilante. Now, it’s not so alien an idea, particularly in the age of Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey. If the president of the United States of America or the chief executive of American Express (Kenneth Chenault) can be black, why can’t a fictional character who has encountered supernatural beings and whose origin story is often tweaked to reflect the times and new story directions? Why not work America’s turbulent racial history into the story of Bruce Wayne and his parents? If Ben Affleck can play a jaded, weary version of Batman in “Batman v Superman,” why couldn’t Denzel Washington or Idris Elba?"

You can read Michael Calia’s full article on the need for a female Thor and a black Batman, here. I think Denzel Washington would be a good choice for Batman, as long as this was an older wearier Batman, and not supposed to be fresh and new just starting his crime fighting career. Otherwise I actually think that if they are going to have a black Bruce Wayne in a movie it should probably be someone young, maybe an unknown who they pick for his looks and acting ability and not just to have a big name playing a black Batman for the first time. As far as the comics go I don’t see why they couldn’t introduce a world or universe where Bruce Wayne was black, or if that is too much why not introduce a whole new character to wear the cape and cowl who is black, after all, Bruce Wayne is hardly the only man to ever become Batman, just the first.

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