Superman: Legacy director James Gunn confirmed that actor Terence Rosemore will play a race-swapped version of Lex Luthor henchman Otis.
James Gunn attends the European Premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3” in Disneyland Paris on April 22, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by StillMoving.Net for Disney)
Gunn shared a cast photograph following a table read where he listed out all the characters the various actors will be playing.
From left to right and starting in the middle and moving to the top, Gunn detailed that Sara Sampaio is Eve Teschmaker, Edi Gathegi is Mister Terrific, David Corenswet is Superman, Terence Rosemore is Otis, Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran, Skyler Gisondo is Jimmy Olsen, Anthony Carrigan is Metamorpho, Rachel Brosnahan is Lois Lane, Isabela Merced is Hawkgirl, James Gunn is in the middle, Nathan Fillion is Guy Gardner, and finally Maria Gabriela de Faría is the Engineer.
James Gunn Instagram
READ: James Gunn Claims “None” Of ‘Superman: Legacy’ Will Be Dedicated To Superman’s Origin Story
Otis was an original character created for Superman: The Movie back in 1978. He was played by actor Ned Beatty. The character is a bumbling and incompetent henchman of Lex Luthor’s who attempts to aid him in his various schemes.
Beatty would reprise his role in Superman II, but would play a much more limited role as Luthor would literally cut him loose as he escaped from prison from a hot air balloon. Otis attempted to escape alongside Luthor, but his weight was holding the balloon down. Thus Otis was cut loose as Luthor and Eve Teschmacher make their escape.
Ned Beatty as Otis in Superman: The Movie (1978), Warner Bros. Pictures
Rosemore has a history working on James Gunn projects. He previously played a Crew Chief in The Suicide Squad, Gurb in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Xlomo Smeth in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Narblik in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
It’s not surprising that Gunn embraced race swapping in the film, he’s done it previously and most recently in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with the High Evolutionary.
In fact, Gunn defended the race swap by accusing a fan of having “racist presumptions.”
(L-R): Miriam Shor as Recorder Vim, Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, and Nico Santos as Recorder Theel in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.
A fan reacted to a picture that Gunn posted of Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 writing, “Damnit… another white guy they made into a black guy. Why couldn’t they just leave him white or i dont know…pick a different minority? How about Asian or gasp! A Latino?(how many Latinos and Asians in MCU? Like total of 5??) Or make him an Indian or something… because they don’t and won’t, that makes them ‘woke’.”
The user continued, “Next time, a major character (hero/villain) will be a trans or homosexual or non-binary (when in comics they are not). Sad and pathetic. They’re picking based on race and whats PC and not on acting and whats established.”
A comment on James Gunn’s Instagram
Gunn responded, “I chose the best actor, period, and the best person for the role. I don’t give a s**t what ethnicity Chukwudi Iwuji is, so stop with your racist preseumptions on WHY he was chosen. (And, by the way he’s playing a guy who’s almost always purple in the color.)”
James Gunn on Instagram
Ironically, Gunn had previously indicated he participated in race swap casting because it more accurately reflects the world. He also noted he would never take non-white characters and make them white “because there are already so many white superheroes.”
In the lead up to the release of his The Suicide Squad film a user commented on Gunn’s Instagram, “then make new black comic book characters, or bring back old ones. Making white characters black isn’t solving the problem. I’m on your side man, I think there should be more black super heroes. But when you start taking white super heroes and changing their race/gender for sole purpose of being ‘diverse’ its just kinda sad.”
A comment on James Gunn’s Instagram
Gunn replied, “That’s pretty simple. Because 95% of all superheroes have historically been white it makes sense as we start adapting them to film in the modern era that some characters who were originally white become another ethnicity to more accurately reflect our world. In most cases, it would not make sense to take a character originally another ethnicity and make them white because there are already so many white superheroes.”
James Gunn on Instagram
What do you make of Terence Rosemore playing a race-swapped Otis in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy?
Let’s be honest, did anyone even care about Otis(no disrespect to Ned Beatty)?
I was thinking the same thing.. lol I was ok with it, plus it “checked” the box and they can leave the rest of the cast alone
Shocking considering they usually don’t let villains be anything other than white
😂
Unless the hero is Black, than it is fine…