This week, we received our first look at Atlanta actor Zazie Beetz as Domino, who will be a featured character in the highly-anticipated sequel, Deadpool 2.
Beetz looks incredible - powerful, strong, and defiant.
However, majority of the initial feedback to Domino was inherently negative, particularly regarding the colour of her skin, and her afro.
Many people were thrilled that a black woman was sporting natural hair in such a major role. But others immediately deemed it ridiculous, saying that an afro was "impractical" for Domino's role as an assassin, and referring to her hairdo as "frizzy", "unpolished", and a "giant mess on [her] head".
Source: Facebook
These are common sentiments. The criticism of black's women's hair is a long-standing and thoroughly documented phenomenon (you can read some incredibly powerful articles from Women of Colour HERE and HERE).
So when Domino's natural hair became an immediate target, plenty of people began speaking up online to refute the comments that appeared to be based on racial prejudice.
And some deftly pointed out the hypocrisy of the backlash against Domino's afro, showing that plenty of comic book characters (including Thor) have had hair that was "impractical" in battle scenarios - but Domino is the only one to receive any backlash for it.
The pale patch of skin around Beetz' left eye in the photo also received negative backlash.
In the original comics, Domino had pale white skin, with a dark spot circling her eye - this was part of the character's mutation. Beetz' character in the new film has vitiligo, a condition where melanin becomes inactive, causing patches of skin and hair to completely lose their pigment.
Despite this being an adapted reference to the original comic book character's facial discolouration, many are incredibly critical of the filmmakers' choice to use a black woman with a white patch of skin around her eye, rather than a white woman with a black patch of skin.
A voice of reason in the conversation is the creator of the character of Domino, Robert Liefeld. He retweeted Ryan Reynolds' original image of Domino, expressing his enthusiastic approval.
When "fans" responded negatively to his approving message, Liefeld refused to accept it:
It's also worth stating that practicality and realism aren't really enormous priorities in a comic book film about mutant superheroes who have magic powers and can do incredible feats that are far beyond the skills of us mere mortals. But sure... a female mercenary sporting an afro is *clearly* TOO farfetched a concept.
Source: Giphy
