Fans have long pointed out the problem of insufficient POC representation in Hollywood. However, to counter the narrative, the industry has taken a strange initiative in recent years to change the race of pre-existing characters.
This solution for the inherent issue of equal representation did not impress the fans of the existing IPs. Amid the controversy surrounding Tinseltown’s new race-swapping concept, the teaser trailer for How to Train Your Dragon live-action enraged many. Netizens didn’t appreciate the tweaks in Astrid’s character, while one commentator highlighted an interesting pattern.
Another race swap: Please stop changing the original characters
The How to Train Your Dragon live-action has been a dream for many fans who have been desperately waiting for the project. The upcoming DreamWorks Animation remake garnered a lot of buzz ever since it was announced.
In such a situation the teaser trailer drop for the movie should have heightened fans’ excitement but it ended up sparking a massive online debate. Eagle-eyed fans quickly latched onto the changes in the character of Astrid (portrayed by Nico Parker), especially her race.
Nooo they massacred my girl Astrid pic.twitter.com/BxTDRMG3yf
— Bit Loud (@Bit_Loud) November 19, 2024
This is not astrid and snotlout😭😭😭
— H🥷ﾒ𝟶 (@lfchaytch) November 19, 2024
Feel like im the only one that doesn’t care about Astrid’s choice for actress.
People are acting as if the Viking representation was 100% down to the tea accurate in the originals when they werent lmao
— 𝖌𝖍𝖆𝖟𝖎 🍿🍜🇯🇴 (@GhaziTwaissi) November 19, 2024
“racism is good when we do it” – Hollywood
— Hablo Spanglish (@jaja__Mundo) November 20, 2024
Thats not Astrid
— Flare Knight🗡🛡☀️ (@FlareKnightFLR) November 20, 2024
The movie industry needs to stop doing this. Just take artistic liberty and create a new character for the live action series that ticks the box.
— shinryu (@sh1nryu_desu) November 20, 2024
Although many would argue that race should not matter when fictional characters are portrayed onscreen, Astrid’s blond hair was her signature attribute. Fans of the animated series directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois refused to overlook the major change.
Netizens also criticized the actress’s onscreen hairstyle and appearance, stating she did not resemble the fictional Viking warrior. Others didn’t find the change too problematic, stating the original character was voiced by America Ferrera, a Latina.
Criticizers also pointed out how the issue of race-swapping characters from popular IPs has become a standard for the industry. Others in the comments demanded original POC characters instead of taking the easy way out by rehashing existing ones.
The ‘female’ pattern in the notion of race-swapping
A user on Reddit pointed out a strange pattern associated with creators swapping the race of pre-existing characters. The commentator smartly noticed that this narrative largely applied to female characters, like Ariel, Snow White, and now Astrid.
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Previously, Disney was criticized for casting Halle Bailey in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. A majority of the audience didn’t appreciate the franchise’s decision to swap the race of a popular Disney Princess instead of creating a new one from scratch.
Another notable example was when Rachel Zegler donned the garb of the first Disney princess. The upcoming live-action remake of Snow White was embroiled in a lot of controversies ever since it was announced, but the race-swap made major headlines.
But this was not only the case for live-action remakes of Disney films, another popular franchise repeated the same scenario with a popular comic character. Kirsten Dunst played the role of Mary Jane Watson, aka MJ in Sam Raimi’s trilogy, but Zendaya took on the mantle of Michelle Jones alongside Tom Holland.
Some TV shows have also been guilty of following the same trend, most notably The Flash. The CW show starred Keiynan Lonsdale and Candice Patton in the roles of Wally and Iris West, characters who were originally white.
While fan’s disappointment with the changes in Astrid’s character is understandable, others cautioned against spreading hate for Parker. Only time will tell if the Mason Thames starrer can justify the creative liberties taken by them.
How to Train Your Dragon is scheduled to be released on 13 June 2025.
