I wanted to discussed a slight annoyance with episode 4 of TFATWS. It’s part of a growing trend in the MCU that I hoped wouldn’t become problematic but we’re here now so…I wanted to discuss the growing trend of White superheroes and their Black sidekicks that are supposed to play their sage, moral compasses. Tony stark had Rhodey, Steve had Sam and Walker had Lemar. Twice was a coincidence but 3 times is a pattern y'all. Their Black sidekicks seem to be serving as morally upstanding characters who bear the brunt of offering advice and cleaning up messes after the impulsive decisions of their White superhero friends. There are also elements of the White savior trope and the unbalanced power dynamic (does the White hero always have to be so much stronger or smarter?), but I’m more concerned about the fact that the writers keep using the injury, pain, trauma and death of these characters as character development for the white superheroes or antiheroes depending on how you look at them. BIPOC folk and BIPOC bodies are not merely instruments for plot progression or the growth of White saviors. I really hope Marvel does better but right now, it’s not looking so great.
