"Iron Fist" star Finn Jones recently underwent a social media detox when he temporarily deactivated his Twitter account following a heated debate about diversity. Over the weekend, Jones was involved in an exchange on Twitter about how his character, Danny Rand, should be portrayed by an Asian actor.
Fans accused Marvel of white-washing the character of Danny Rand/Iron Fist by casting Jones. They argued that "Iron Fist" is taking advantage of Orientalist tropes by having a white actor appears as the great savior who becomes better at martial arts than the Asian people who taught him. Fans suggested that having an Asian-American actor play the role would've eliminated the alleged racist subtext.
In defense of "Iron Fist," Jones said that the show has remained true to the source material and at the same time brings actors from different backgrounds. He added that the show will represent diversity well.
Moreover, Jones said that he is proud of the work everyone has done on "Iron Fist," and that they've "gone to great lengths to represent a diverse cast with an intelligent, socially progressive storyline."
"There is a huge benefit to engage and help shape conversations on social media, especially when it comes to giving a voice to social matters," Jones said about his Twitter discussion.
According to Deadline, Jones said in a statement that he also opted to pluck himself out of social media to focus on portraying Iron Fist without judgment. As of the meantime, the "Game of Thrones" album is filming "The Defenders."
According to Digital Spy, this isn't the first time Jones made a strong point to defend the show. He previously dismissed criticisms about Danny Rand being a "white savior."
"Danny Rand is not a white saviour. Danny Rand can hardly save himself, let alone an entire race of people. He is a very complicated, vulnerable individual," the 28-year-old actor told Buzzfeed.
"Iron Fist" will premiere on Netflix on March 17.
