By Victoria McNally | Streaming | March 21, 2017 |
By Victoria McNally | Streaming | March 21, 2017 |
So, Netflix’s Iron Fist series is finally out! I have not yet gotten the chance to watch (or the desire to watch, which is more accurate), but from what I’ve been told it is… well, it’s out!
Obviously the biggest controversy that surrounded the series in pre-production was what to do with its lead character, Danny Rand, a white man who travels to the mystical Asian city of K’un L’un and excels over all its people in martial arts. Many people thought it would be best if Danny was recontextualized as an Asian American character, for various salient reasons. Marvel went in a more “traditional” direction, we’ll say, and hired Finn Jones (although they did consider casting Lewis Tan, who eventually was given a smaller part [note: not Davos as I mistakenly put earlier, my bad!]) and is, as I understand it, the best martial artist in the entire series.)
Whether or not Iron Fist fails to live up to the expectations set by previously acclaimed Marvel television series is your own personal preference, certainly. But you surely cannot convince me that if the producers had based their version of Iron Fist on comic artist Kris Anka’s design, it would be a much better show. Just look at how cool this version of Danny Rand is.
warm up - danny rand - the iron fist pic.twitter.com/d9URHD93sE
— KrismasRidesEternal (@kristaferanka) December 8, 2015
Since the show was released, other artists in the online comics community (starting with Jen Bartel) have had fun playing around with Anka’s version of the character:
Iron Fist 👊ðŸ¼ðŸ‰ pic.twitter.com/MLlnIGO8Iv
— Jen Bartel (@heyjenbartel) March 19, 2017
inspired by @heyjenbartel drawing it today, i wanted to draw my Iron Fist design again pic.twitter.com/KtKBofyHSf
— KrismasRidesEternal (@kristaferanka) March 19, 2017
Late to the party, but I just had to draw @kristaferanka's Iron Fist. 😄 pic.twitter.com/VfbTybah7w
— Koi Carreon (@LeKoiFish) March 20, 2017
I'm a little late to the party, but I drew Iron Fist! Shoutout to @heyjenbartel and @kristaferanka for making it look like much so fun~ pic.twitter.com/XqCbWAOqXU
— Christine Hipp (@chippolyta) March 20, 2017
Paulina Ganucheau even created this gender-swapped version, which is also quickly becoming popular in its own right:
It's ya girl Dani Rand here to kick your ass. 👊ðŸ‰ðŸ’¥ pic.twitter.com/uWaBevlxS1
— Paulina Ganucheau (@PlinaGanucheau) March 20, 2017
cause you knew i had to stop working immediately to draw @PlinaGanucheau amazing flawless perfect dani rand design pic.twitter.com/JHEcd3mSPu
— KrismasRidesEternal (@kristaferanka) March 20, 2017
Okay, but what if @PlinaGanucheau's fab Dani Rand had her buddy Cage to team up with? (fresh off work, forgive the quality) pic.twitter.com/16lr7jsuOd
— ✨Shannon Manor✨ (@shannonmanor) March 21, 2017
Someone at Marvel, for the love of God, give these two a solo series. You have a Gwen Stacy Deadpool, surely these two have a spot in the Multiverse somewhere.
The pressure was too strong.#IronFirst redesigns by @kristaferanka and @PlinaGanucheau pic.twitter.com/J48wlKXOW6
— Rad (@radokelinijeso) March 20, 2017
Couldn't choose just one, so I drew both! Thank you for the fun sketch break, @PlinaGanucheau and @kristaferanka ! <3 pic.twitter.com/zveiVg9due
— Cat Farris (@Cattifer) March 20, 2017
@heyjenbartel @kristaferanka wait, can I take that back? @PlinaGanucheau's design gave me a better idea. pic.twitter.com/C5i4HhxZjo
— Christine Hipp (@chippolyta) March 20, 2017
. @heyjenbartel has gotten all of Twitter on that @kristaferanka @PlinaGanucheau Iron Fist redesign trainhttps://t.co/5FaQakmTSm pic.twitter.com/J5CDwFMh77
— Rahzzah (@Rahzzah) March 20, 2017