Written by: Samantha Bertolino
In 2015, Marvel initiated their All-New, All-Different campaign, which relaunched over sixty titles with completely new first issues. This strategy aimed to promote diversity and inclusion, but it backfired immediately. Here’s why:
The campaign implemented new characters from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, in place of older, well-known characters. These content changes included (but were not limited to): an African American Captain America, a Korean American Hulk, and a female Thor.
Fans considered these versions “cheap replacements,” and found the All-New, All-Different approach to be “lazy, gimmicky and knee-jerk.” Marvel’s perfunctory efforts were criticized for inciting tokenism, or the “practice of recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of [workplace] equality.”
Meaningful inclusion can only happen when a transformational effort is made. Unfortunately, most of these titles were developed by people lacking the appropriate perspectives and experience.
Marvel’s writing in the All-New, All-Different campaign often appeared “shallow and ignorant,” and advertising resources were much weaker, with some titles receiving “only a few announcements on comic fan sites, rather than a full promotional program.” Furthermore, “replacements” to traditional characters were typically inferior in performance to their originals.
Rather than emphasizing race and representation for the purpose of targeting specific ethnic and racial groups, media creators should develop cogent narratives and realistic portrayals of characters which consumers can relate to.
When content creation lacks the appropriate depth, consumer acceptance is ultimately thwarted. Characters from underrepresented backgrounds are reduced to one-dimensional archetypes that lack complexity. Though Marvel pulled the campaign back in 2019, its implications remain relevant today.
If you haven’t had the opportunity, take a look at The Token Superhero by David Walker. The short essay serves as part of a collection dedicated to science fiction writer Octavia Butler, and explores similar themes between social justice and speculative fiction.