Whoopi Goldberg is penning a superhero featuring starring an old Black woman as the protagonist. Goldberg has had a long and successful career in the industry and has basically done it all. She has the honorable title of an EGOT winner for her performances throughout the years and also has numerous music and producer credits to her name. Most recently, she has been the lead host on The View and is gearing up for her role in M.O.D.O.K.
Variety spoke with Goldberg about her plans for the screenplay she's writing. At this stage of the screenplay, the protagonist will start off as an average person who gains powers and learns to use them over the course of the film. Goldberg explained that making the superhero character an elderly Black woman was an intentional and personal choice. She expressed that she has been a longtime fan of superhero movies. In typical Whoopi fashion, her reason for creating an elderly Black superhero character was both witty and logical. She pitched the question, "Who's really going to save the earth?" with the response being, "old Black women."
Superhero movies have surged within the last decade. The Marvel Cinematic Universe brought the genre to the mainstream and has consistently topped the charts for the highest-grossing movies. However, some of the flaws with the genre surround inclusivity. The majority of superheroes are white cisgender males. While these superheroes are great in their own right, Whoopi Goldberg's initiative to bring diversity to the superhero genre is a breath of fresh air. Hopefully, it'll pave the way for more diverse superheroes to come.
Source: Variety