Jessica Alba says Marvel movies are “still quite caucasian”

Marvel may be making some strides in diversity with series like Ms. Marvel and some tentpole film releases like Eternals, but one actress thinks they can do even better. Jessica Alba, who once played in the Marvel sandbox in two Fantastic Four films, still believes that Marvel movies are “still quite caucasian.”

In a recent interview with Glamour UK, Alba stated that she believes there has been growth in film regarding representation, but she also called the improvement “a business initiative.” By this, she means those in charge realized a more diverse cast resulted in increased profits. She also noted that there was still room for improvement, and that’s when she specifically called out the MCU:

“Even if you look at the Marvel movies – that’s the biggest driver of fantasy and what’s happening right now in entertainment, because it’s sort of the family thing – it’s still quite Caucasian. I would say I was one of the few back in the day… And it was before Marvel was sold to Disney… but it’s still quite… more of the same.”

Jessica Alba is of Mexican descent, and her career became more mainstream when she starred in the series Dark Angel from 2000-2002. In 2005, Alba appeared in Sin City and as Sue Storm in 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four. This is when the studio owned the characters before the Disney/Fox merger. She would play the role again in the 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I can’t recall if anyone made a big stink about her being cast as Sue Storm, who is caucasian in the comic books, but I imagine if it happened today, her casting would come under attack on social media. When speaking about why diversity is so important in the film industry, Alba said, “I just think more for the younger people who are coming up, who are going to be our future leaders, it’s important for them to see the world on screen, or in stories, in the dreams that we create as entertainers; it reflects the world that they’re in.”

I don’t think the strides that Marvel has made regarding diversity should be ignored, even if it’s still a predominantly caucasian brand. 2018’s Black Panther, featuring a predominantly African American cast, was a huge cultural movement and grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide. 2021 saw the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it was the first Marvel Studios film with an Asian director and a predominantly Asian cast. The Eternals cast was more diverse than most Marvel ensembles, while the MCU also brought on its first on-screen Muslim LGBTQ superhero, Ms. Marvel.

Do YOU agree with Jessica Alba about Marvel?