• ECHO. What makes her different? She is deaf. Echo will be making an appearance in the 'Hawkeye' series, slated for release on Disney+ in 2021. For the role of Echo (aka Maya Lopez), producers cast Alaqua Cox, a deaf Native American actress who will be making her screen debut. As a child, Lopez was sent to a school for people with learning disabilities, but it turns out she is, in fact, a gifted prodigy. Courtesy Disney
    ECHO. What makes her different? She is deaf. Echo will be making an appearance in the 'Hawkeye' series, slated for release on Disney+ in 2021. For the role of Echo (aka Maya Lopez), producers cast Alaqua Cox, a deaf Native American actress who will be making her screen debut. As a child, Lopez was sent to a school for people with learning disabilities, but it turns out she is, in fact, a gifted prodigy. Courtesy Disney
  • HORNET. What makes him different? He has cerebral palsy. This Marvel superhero, whose identity has been adopted by three different characters, identifies as disabled in his incarnation as the character Eddie McDonough. A skilled inventor, his suit, which was bequeathed to him but which he later modified, helps him navigate the limitations his condition dictates. Living with his condition from birth, he has an atrophied right arm. A kind and brave team member in the Marvel Universe, he dies a hero, sacrificing himself by standing alone against Hydra and Wolverine, who is being mind-controlled. Courtesy Marvel
    HORNET. What makes him different? He has cerebral palsy. This Marvel superhero, whose identity has been adopted by three different characters, identifies as disabled in his incarnation as the character Eddie McDonough. A skilled inventor, his suit, which was bequeathed to him but which he later modified, helps him navigate the limitations his condition dictates. Living with his condition from birth, he has an atrophied right arm. A kind and brave team member in the Marvel Universe, he dies a hero, sacrificing himself by standing alone against Hydra and Wolverine, who is being mind-controlled. Courtesy Marvel
  • THE RUNAWAYS. What makes them different? Their diversity. With 'The Runaways' currently streaming on Hulu, young fans are being treated to a talented group who are ethnically diverse and inclusive. Of the six children, Alex Wilder is a prodigy, Nico Minoru is a witch, Karolina Dean is an alien, Gertrude Yorkes has telepathic abilities, Chase Stein possesses futuristic gloves, and Molly Hayes is a super-strong mutant. Courtesy Hulu
    THE RUNAWAYS. What makes them different? Their diversity. With 'The Runaways' currently streaming on Hulu, young fans are being treated to a talented group who are ethnically diverse and inclusive. Of the six children, Alex Wilder is a prodigy, Nico Minoru is a witch, Karolina Dean is an alien, Gertrude Yorkes has telepathic abilities, Chase Stein possesses futuristic gloves, and Molly Hayes is a super-strong mutant. Courtesy Hulu
  • The Runaways band together to battle their parents, from whom they inherited their powers and abilities. Courtesy Hulu
    The Runaways band together to battle their parents, from whom they inherited their powers and abilities. Courtesy Hulu
  • JUBILEE. What makes her different? She has dyscalculia, a condition that makes maths-related tasks difficult. Jubilee is an ex-mutant and vampire. Her condition affects her in strange ways because according to vampiric lore, vampires have arithmomania (the compulsive desire to count). The lore is behind the theory that throwing a bag of grain at a vampire's feet will be enough for you to make your escape as they stop to count. Courtesy Marvel
    JUBILEE. What makes her different? She has dyscalculia, a condition that makes maths-related tasks difficult. Jubilee is an ex-mutant and vampire. Her condition affects her in strange ways because according to vampiric lore, vampires have arithmomania (the compulsive desire to count). The lore is behind the theory that throwing a bag of grain at a vampire's feet will be enough for you to make your escape as they stop to count. Courtesy Marvel
  • MS MARVEL. What makes her different? She is Disney's first Muslim superhero. Iman Vellani is the 16-year-old Pakistani-American actress who will play Kamala Khan, AKA Ms Marvel, when the show debuts on Disney+ in late 2021/ early 2022. Khan lives with her parents and brother in New Jersey and struggles with her multi-cultural life between school and home where her 'Desi' parents can't understand her westernised life. One night she sneaks into a party and is engulfed in a strange green mist which gives her the power to change size, stretch and take on another person's likeness. Twitter
    MS MARVEL. What makes her different? She is Disney's first Muslim superhero. Iman Vellani is the 16-year-old Pakistani-American actress who will play Kamala Khan, AKA Ms Marvel, when the show debuts on Disney+ in late 2021/ early 2022. Khan lives with her parents and brother in New Jersey and struggles with her multi-cultural life between school and home where her 'Desi' parents can't understand her westernised life. One night she sneaks into a party and is engulfed in a strange green mist which gives her the power to change size, stretch and take on another person's likeness. Twitter
  • Ms Marvel, AKA Kamala Khan, will be played by Iman Vella in the upcoming Disney+ show. Courtesy Disney
    Ms Marvel, AKA Kamala Khan, will be played by Iman Vella in the upcoming Disney+ show. Courtesy Disney
  • KOMODO. What makes her different? She is a double amputee. In her human form as Melati Kusuma, this superhero is missing both legs. She transforms thanks to the scientific experiments of Dr Curt Connors, turning her into a creature that can walk and regrow her lost body parts. Courtesy Marvel
    KOMODO. What makes her different? She is a double amputee. In her human form as Melati Kusuma, this superhero is missing both legs. She transforms thanks to the scientific experiments of Dr Curt Connors, turning her into a creature that can walk and regrow her lost body parts. Courtesy Marvel
  • BILLY CRANSTON. What makes him different? He is on the autism spectrum. Billy Cranston, also known as the Blue Ranger in Netflix show 'Power Rangers', is autistic. Actor RJ Cyler, who plays Billy, said: 'I knew that it was my job to show that people that are on the spectrum are just regular people.' Director Dean Israelite insisted he wanted this reboot to be 'not just diverse in terms of ethnicity, but diverse in terms of representing voices. We wanted to take a character like Billy and celebrate those abilities'. Netflix
    BILLY CRANSTON. What makes him different? He is on the autism spectrum. Billy Cranston, also known as the Blue Ranger in Netflix show 'Power Rangers', is autistic. Actor RJ Cyler, who plays Billy, said: 'I knew that it was my job to show that people that are on the spectrum are just regular people.' Director Dean Israelite insisted he wanted this reboot to be 'not just diverse in terms of ethnicity, but diverse in terms of representing voices. We wanted to take a character like Billy and celebrate those abilities'. Netflix
  • Diversity has been the key to success for Netflix's 'Power Rangers' reboot. Netflix
    Diversity has been the key to success for Netflix's 'Power Rangers' reboot. Netflix
  • PIXIE. What makes her different? She is working class. In a superhero world filled with the super-rich likes of Tony Stark and Professor Charles Xavier (at whose school she was educated), Pixie stands out in that she spent her childhood in borderline poverty in a small mining town in Wales, UK. She is a member of A-Force, can fly and produce hallucinogenic dust. She can also teleport. Courtesy Marvel
    PIXIE. What makes her different? She is working class. In a superhero world filled with the super-rich likes of Tony Stark and Professor Charles Xavier (at whose school she was educated), Pixie stands out in that she spent her childhood in borderline poverty in a small mining town in Wales, UK. She is a member of A-Force, can fly and produce hallucinogenic dust. She can also teleport. Courtesy Marvel
  • DUST. What makes her different? She wears an abaya. Dust, AKA Sooraya Qadir, is an Afghani member of the Young X-Men, who completes her training in the US. Her Sunni Muslim faith is front and centre in all she does and she wears an abaya and a niqab. Trained at the Xavier Institute, she can turn herself into sand.
    DUST. What makes her different? She wears an abaya. Dust, AKA Sooraya Qadir, is an Afghani member of the Young X-Men, who completes her training in the US. Her Sunni Muslim faith is front and centre in all she does and she wears an abaya and a niqab. Trained at the Xavier Institute, she can turn herself into sand.
  • MOON KNIGHT. What makes him different? He has dissociative identity disorder. Set to be played by Oscar Isaac on the big screen, his origin story involves a magical Egyptian deity and he develops three separate personalities, each with distinctive traits and identities: Marc Spector is a former boxer, Marine, CIA operative and mercenary, millionaire Steven Grant, and taxicab driver Jake Lockley. AFP, supplied
    MOON KNIGHT. What makes him different? He has dissociative identity disorder. Set to be played by Oscar Isaac on the big screen, his origin story involves a magical Egyptian deity and he develops three separate personalities, each with distinctive traits and identities: Marc Spector is a former boxer, Marine, CIA operative and mercenary, millionaire Steven Grant, and taxicab driver Jake Lockley. AFP, supplied

Film

Super representation: the new heroes that showcase diversity and inclusivity

These superheroes are proof there's plenty of representation, as heroes with physical disabilities, autism and cerebral palsy inspire fans

Gemma White

December 10, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

The news that Alaqua Cox has been cast as Echo in the new Disney+ series Hawkeye has been welcomed by superhero fans looking for more diversity in the genre. Like the character she will portray, Cox is Native American and deaf, bringing more representation and inclusion to the Marvel universe for fans who have longed to see more heroes like themselves on both the big and small screen.

And with 16-year-old Pakistani-American actress Iman Vellani set to bring Ms Marvel to the Disney+ streaming channel – making the character Marvel's first Muslim superhero to be brought to the small screen – it seems that superheroes are finally representing more than just the white men they have traditionally been.

Click through the gallery above for a look at some of the more diverse superheroes, and what makes them different.

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