Psylocke has one of the most unusual evolutions in X-Men history. What newer fans may not know is the Asian psi-ninja warrior is not what she seems.
This week director Bryan Singer revealed Olivia Munn will play Betsy Braddock in X-Men: Apocalypse. Fans questioned which version of Psylocke will appear in the sequel: the British (caucasian) telepath or the Japanese psychic ninja?
In 90’s Betsy’s mind was merged with the body of a dead assassin for The Hand.
The casting brings up questions of Psylocke’s racial evolution.
G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel, A-Force) is writing a four-part X-Men arc which includes the telepath. The acclaimed writer was asked about her comments about having Betsy back in her original body and how minority characters are portrayed. Her answer on CBR’s X-Position is a sign of “what if”her X-run could become:
“I think it’s important to acknowledge that people’s experiences are not interchangeable, especially when it comes to race and ethnicity. If you’re going to drop a white character into an Asian body, I think it behooves you to explore how that character’s life would change — how she would be treated socially, how she would deal with microaggression, how this might alter her perceptions about the world. If you take a story in that direction, you’ve gotta do the work. Otherwise it’s just tokenism. However, since I’m just here for four issues, I didn’t feel I had the space or the prerogative to move things around significantly, so I didn’t really touch on the Psylocke race issue. If I was the ongoing series writer, however, I would seriously consider making a change.”
Wilson said if she could write another X-Men story it would be Jubilee “on a madcap quest to find a cure for her vampirism. I might do that anyway.”
X-Men #26, the conclusion of The Burning World arrives April 26th. Wilson will co-write A-Force with Marguerite Bennett next.
Munn as Psylocke and Lana Condor as Jubilee will appear in X-Men: Apocalypse scheduled for May 2016.
One other question about Munn as Psylocke: which costume?
In recent years Marvel creators changed Betsy’s one piece bathing suit (in the style of Elektra) for a more covered body suit she wears now.
By Editor