Netflix’s acclaimed series Daredevil starred Peter Shinkoda as ‘Nobu Yoshioka’, leader of the Hand. In real life, racism’s hand was present as claims of anti-Asian dealings by former Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb have been alleged. Peter Shinkoda did not call Jeph Loeb “a bigot.” Now, he could have. Loeb sounds like a bigoted shill of a human in verbatim, as was implied during a #SaveDaredevil live interview this week.
See for yourself:
If these claims from @PeterShinkoda about #JephLoeb against Asian actors and what they represent are correct, both he and @StevenDeKnight should kick his ass, martial arts style. #SaveDaredevil
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A Look at Claims from Peter Shinkoda
Think about that: We have an amazing TV series that deserves to merge into the MCU as-is. (That’s my own editorial note, but if you disagree, we can’t be friends.) In canon, Daredevil is one of the top martial artists in Marvel history. So, obviously, there is a backstory that involves eastern mysticism, martial arts, and oh yeah…Asians.
See, Matt Murdock uses various Chinese and Japanese martial arts disciplines taught to him by Stick, leader of the Chaste. He combines boxing (America) with Ninjutsu (Japan), Wushu (China), Judo (Japan), and Aikijujutsu (Japan/Korea) to open a can of whoop-ass on anyone, specifically those nefarious people who make up the Hand.
All of that to say: According to Peter Shinkoda, Jeph Loeb allegedly offended all Asian and Asian-American actors with these doltish claims.
In case you didn’t click on the tweet for Peter Shinkoda’s rather reluctant interview along with Geoffrey Cantor (‘Mitchell Ellison’) and Tommy Walker (‘Francis’):
“Jeph Loeb told the writers room not to write for Nobu and Gao…and this was reiterated many times by many of the writers and showrunners. He said, ‘Nobody cares about Chinese people and Asian people. There were three previous Marvel movies, a trilogy called Blade that was made where Wesley Snipes killed 200 Asians each movie. Nobody gives a sh*t so don’t write about Nobu and Gao.’”
Peter Shinkoda, #SaveDaredevil Interview
Yeah, there’s that. “Nobody gives a sh*t” about Asians”?! That’s why he believed writing more for crucial characters like Peter Shinkoda’s Nobu or Wai Ching Ho‘s Madame Gao didn’t require much attention. In Daredevil! What’s next? He oversees a movie about the NBA and claims writing for black characters won’t matter?!
If you follow Steven DeKnight’s meticulous and astounding script for Daredevil, you know learning as much as we can about Gao and Nobu is imperative. And we didn’t get one. Why?!
JepH Loeb, ASSHAT
And guess what? Jeph Loeb’s racist predilection was visible in Iron Fist, also from Marvel and Netflix. While Iron Fist in canon is Daniel Rand, white guy, many people were clamoring about an Asian lead. Many martial artists and fans thought Lewis Tan would have been phenomenal.
Casting Tan as the immortal ‘Iron Fist’ would have negated the whitewashing of roles in Asian leads. We love martial arts but get a white dude to do it. There are many “white” guys in martial arts who are more than capable of commanding a screen instead of Finn Jones. Guys like Scott Adkins, Jason Statham, Ray Park, Taylor Lautner, and even Gary Daniels.
But apparently, tone-deaf Jeph Loeb stepped in and insisted on Finn effing Jones. Oh, there was also that time Loeb appeared at a Comic-Con in a Karate Gi for grins.
Peter Shinkoda was clearly distraught about making these claims in the first place, but it is important to know these things. Marvel may not have known what he did in the Daredevil writer’s room, but they know now. Steven DeKnight may not have known about Jeph Loeb’s antics, but he does know.
What will happen from here, who knows. Marvel and Jeph Loeb are over. This series was one of the best things Netflix ever created. The story arcs. The characters. The actors. They all need to be in the MCU. Including Peter Shinkoda.
If you would like to see the #SaveDaredevil panel in its entirety, here you go:
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