Fans on the Internet unanimously celebrate casting decision
Illustration by Tina Wallace
Director Zack Snyder announced during a Feb. 26 press conference that actor Michael Cera will portray Aquaman in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman movie.
Within a couple hours of the announcement, this news went viral on social media sites and provoked an outpouring of goodwill from the online comic book fan community.
Outside of becoming a trending topic on Twitter, some comic book fans went as far as creating the website CeraisAquaman.com, which is dedicated solely to listing reasons why the Arrested Development star is the best possible choice to portray the famous DC Comics superhero.
As of now, no negative comments surrounding this announcement can be found anywhere on the Internet.
The overwhelmingly positive response to this casting news came as a surprise to many, since comic book fans have been historically hard to please when it comes to the casting of their favourite superheroes in live-action incarnations.
Andrew Bottiger, whose website geekhissyfit.com normally acts as a mechanism for launching movie boycotts and hunger strikes in response to this kind of casting news, is one of many fans who has experienced a change of heart.
In a recent editorial for his website, Bottiger claimed he is completely content with the casting of Cera as Aquaman.
“I simply can’t find any fault with this decision,” said Bottiger. “I think that a scrawny, stammering, socially awkward Aquaman is just what this franchise needs, and I think all the fans realize that.”
Peter Slattery, a diehard DC Comics fan and fourth-year psychology student at the U of O, offers another perspective on this change of heart in the comic book community. He believes that the complete lack of a negative response to Cera’s casting stems from the fact that most hot-tempered comic book fans are currently in a state of emotional and physical remission, having already purged all their venomous hatred in response to news that actor Ben Affleck was cast as the new Batman.
“I personally pushed my body to the edge with this whole ‘Batfleck’ business,” said Slattery, referring to the two-week hunger strike he took outside the front gate of the Warner Brothers studio last fall. “Now I’m preoccupied with more important matters, like eating solid food and finding a job.”
Other positive responses to this casting news have remained controversial in the public eye. The white supremacist group known as the Council of Conservative Comic Book Critics has already made waves online, stating that they are “just happy that Aquaman is being played by a white actor.”
“Cera is a fine choice to represent the superiority of the white man,” said founder Gabe Spence on the group’s official Facebook page. “It’s encouraging to see that Aquaman will remain a member of the Aryan race in this film incarnation, especially after we have lost characters like Nick Fury and The Human Torch to the politically correct dogma of Hollywood.”
Thus far, Cera has neglected to comment on this casting announcement, but he is expected to make a public statement later this week. In the meantime, he can rest easy knowing that his version of Aquaman is currently being embraced by all, including rabid comic book fans and white supremacists.
The Tomato is the Fulcrum’s satirical news page within the opinions section. These articles are meant to satirize an issue in our community or nation. They are not to be taken seriously; however, you should consider them in relation to your other news sources.
