Why Marvel's Diversity Initiative Failed

By now, we've all seen the hype for Marvel's next new initiative, Legacy. A key cornerstone of Legacy is what appears to be bringing back the old characters to dialing back the diversity initiative.


What's the diversity initiative? If you're asking that, you haven't paid much attention to the world of comics. One thing Marvel Comics has tried over the last several years is enhancing the ethnic and gender diversity of the starring characters of the titles it publishes.


First, Marvel tried minor approaches such as titles starring Sif and the like using minor characters. However, unless such a title has A-list talent or receives tremendous accolades, ie critical acclaim such that sales increase massively, the comics market is far too competitive for such a title to survive. Marvel's constant new initiatives, major events, and unforgiving sales floor didn't help much either.


So what's a publisher to do if one really wants to show they're series about bringing more diversity to their line-up? In the case of Marvel, replace some of their long-standing heroes, whom also have spotty sales history, with a non-white or female replacement! It even culminated in the short-lived All-New, All-Diverse (er I meant Different) Avengers. Alas, the thirty-something plus fanbase that buys the comic books that amortizes the trades basically saw it as the publishing gimmick that it was. They didn't embrace it whole-heartedly. Neither, did the new fans Marvel hoped to attract flock to comic stores to purchase those comics to foster the sales numbers Marvel desired.


The latter is really my theory why Marvel's Diversity Initiative failed. Not sexist fanboys. Not racist fanboys. One must realize there's only so many comic readers out there. Many of them are thirty-plus. They've seen the characters they've followed for years be replaced, changed, butchered, etc. When I learnt of Sam Wilson Cap or Jane Foster Thor, I didn't scream out oh no they've changed races and genders! I went 'Oh no, not again!' like toward the end of the movie Spaceballs. This won't last was my first thought. The heavy hype only made it worse to my mind. I am betting other comic buyers thought same thing.


You can only ask long time readers to support short-term gimmicks for so long before they either fail to support the title or become very critical. Unfortunately, all those new readers whom sought such diversity (ie a female Thor, a black Captain America) were probably waiting to hear if the books were any good before buying trade. Irate comics readers aren't going to provide the solid reviews to foster that.


I give Marvel credit. They tried to expand their market. Alas, they did so expecting their current, much abused market to do what they always do. The market said no as did the potential market. So that's my theory why the diversity initiative failed.


Next Time.