December 14, 2022
"From that first time we saw someone fly through the air, superheroes on the big screen have had the power to influence generations, providing positive role models that inspire all of us to be just a little bit better [...] But times are changing, and we are finally entering a new era.
Welcome to the age of Latine superheroes."
-Brenda Victoria Castillo
By Clayton Davis for Variety
Latinos are underrepresented in all parts of entertainment in Hollywood. Still, there is a responsibility for those who make it onto movie and television screens to hold the door open for more people to join them.
“I don’t think we understand the responsibility that we have been given at this very moment,” actor Wilmer Valderrama says during the Latine Representation in Comic Books Virtual Panel. “For a couple of decades our stories have been paraphrased and stereotyped. While we show up on the screen, we are responsible for creating creative collaborations for the people who are telling our stories at this moment — until we have everyone who looks like us writing and directing.”
Watch the exclusive conversation above.
The National Hispanic Media Coalition hosted its first-ever superhero panel on Nov. 7 in partnership with Variety. NHMC brought together panelists from various parts of entertainment to discuss Latino representation in comic books. In addition to Valderrama, the other panelists included David Castañeda (“The Umbrella Academy”), Xochitl Gomez (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), Gabriel Luna (“The Last of Us”), Yvette Monreal (“Stargirl”) and Carlos Valdes (“The Flash”). Brenda Castillo, NHMC CEO introduced the panel and conversation that Variety moderated.
During the conversation, the panel of actors and creators discussed the strides they see in representation and celebrating the success of Latinos in the superhero genre. In addition, they also discuss the challenges Latinos face going into the future.
Despite being the second largest ethnic group in the United States (and approximately 40% of the population in California), people of color remain woefully underrepresented as both directors and writers, according to the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report. According to the UCLA Diversity Report, people of color represent less than 25.4% of film directors and less than 25% of film writers.
The NHMC was founded more than 36 years ago to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism toward the Latino community. They support the next generation of Latino writers, directors and artists in Hollywood.
Valderrama was recently announced to star and executive produce a live-action “Zorro” series in development at Disney Branded Television. Castañeda will be in Rian Johnson’s Peacock series “Poker Face.”
After roles in “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Luna will play Tommy Miller in HBO’s “The Last of Us” which premieres in January.
After 147 episodes playing Cisco Ramon on CW’s “The Flash,” Valdes has an upcoming role in the eight-episode series “Up Here” from “Hamilton” creator Thomas Kail.
Following America Chavez in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” Gomez’s breakout will continue into the sci-fi thriller “Ursa Major” alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And finally, Monreal wrapped up her time as Wildcat on “Stargirl” and is in pre-production for the TV series “More” from executive producer Greg Berlanti.
