It’s no secret that 2018 was a huge year for minorities being casted as the lead roles in blockbuster Hollywood films. From the box office success that was Marvel’s Black Panther back in February, to the recently-released Crazy Rich Asians, as well as Netflix’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, it looks like Hollywood is finally taking a chance on actors of color.
Race wasn’t the only factor being included, either; Love, Simon was a historic film in terms of LGBTQ+ representation. The film was such a success that it grossed $66.3 million at the box office. Crazy Rich Asians also grossed $149.2 million, and Black Panther became the highest-grossing solo superhero film when it reached $700 million! And that was only its domestic gross!
Why are these films doing so well? It could be the fact that all of these examples include a minority as a main character. These multi-million dollar grosses only further demonstrate the value that on-screen representation holds. Crazy Rich Asians received well-deserved praise for including a predominantly Asian-American cast, and African-Americans were thrilled to see a Black Marvel superhero when Black Panther was released.
These films hold such special value for kids as well. The impact of being a child and seeing someone of your skin tone, or simply someone that you can relate to, on the big screen can be indescribable. The character that you’re able to identify with can serve as someone that you aspire to be. With Hollywood finally accepting diversity in race and sexuality, it seems as if kids can grow into the people they want to be, simply because of something they saw for two hours at their local movie theater.