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While the Superman in Naomi’s premiere episode is pretty perfect, there is one massive flaw in its White Savior complex.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the pilot episode of the CW’s Naomi.
As the CW premiere of Naomi unfolded, it definitely stuck to the essence of the comic from Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker and Jamal Campbell in terms of how much she worshipped Superman. The teen (played by Kaci Walfall) was obsessed with trying to prove he wasn’t a myth on this Earth and that superheroes and villains did exist. However, while this version of the Man of Steel is almost perfect, there is one massive flaw in its White Savior complex.
Now, the idea of Superman being a myth and people doubting him is quite intriguing, which the books didn’t depict as Naomi yearned to meet the Justice Leaguer in the main DC comic universe. It’s religious even, with many trying to disprove his existence, chalking it down to CGI, stunts or marketing tricks. It’s why Naomi’s running her own fan site — gushing, fawning and worshipping over the idea there is this higher being and godlike man saving humanity, even without them believing.
But seeing as this is all about faith in a world with no known metas and capes, the show should have altered its DNA and introduced a Black Superman. It’s known Michael B. Jordan is working with DC and Warner Bros. on bringing this iteration of the Man of Steel to life, but there’s no reason why the CW couldn’t explore it first. It already has a Black Batwoman and Joker, and WB now has no problem with different versions of their characters across various mediums. To top it off, the idea of a white Superman has been done to death in games, comics, cartoons and movies.
However, rather than being a testing ground to gather feedback and metrics, a Black Superman would have fit the nature of Naomi’s story of self-discovery. After all, the idea of a young Black girl worshipping a white man does feel a bit tone-deaf, especially as Naomi has no full identity yet, so this would remove the shackles of old and paint a progressive, evolutionary picture for the Kryptonian icon.
Seeing as Naomi doesn’t know where she’s from, who her real parents are, and simply put, isn’t immersed in a world with too many people who look like her or relate to her, it’d have felt organic. With her cultural identity still developing, having her seeing a Black Superman as a paragon of virtue and beacon of hope would speak volumes and inspire her beyond belief. It’d also have addressed sociopolitical tensions of that universe, making a statement that even draws unwanted tension in the real world regarding Black men as leaders.
It’s been touched on by the CW with Black Lightning being revered by young teens in Freeland, showing them a hero in their own skin which they can one day aspire to be. In that sense, a Black Superman shutting up haters, doubters and racists, unconditionally saving everyone, would truly resonate and teach Naomi compassion, empathy and how to persevere in a world that may not accept her based on racial bias.
Naomi airs on The CW on Tuesdays at 9 pm ET/PT.
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