MCU's new Iron Fist Defends Choice to Make Hero Female

Marvel’s latest animation series Eyes of Wakanda is in full swing over on Disney+ but one casting choice has left fans feeling divided as the idea of a female superhero still continues to blow their tiny minds.

Telling the story of various Wakandan warriors throughout history and serving as a prequel to the Black Panther franchise, Eyes of Wakanda is a brand-new animated series in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Disney+.

As well as focusing on the Wakandan warriors known as the Hatut Zaraze, the series also features some other well-known superheroes with one including Iron Fist themselves.

However, unlike previous iterations, this time Iron Fist is portrayed by female actor Jona Xiao who took on the mantle in the third episode of the show.

As you can imagine, some so-called fans were left feeling outraged by the decision to have a female Iron Fist and, as a result, Xiao took to social media to defend her role.

Over on Instagram, Xiao explained that “Iron Fist is a mantle” and her character Jorani earned it.

"Iron Fist is a mantle, not a name. And in 'Eyes of Wakanda,' Jorani earned that mantle,” the actress replied after one user claimed “you’re not [Iron Fist].”

"Man, it can be so frustrating if it feels like a project is changing the direction and expectations of the comics,” Xiao continued.

“Because Iron Fist is a mantle (like a title) and has been held by various characters of different genders across the comics, Jorani is part of the K'un Lun legacy of protectors.

She shares how she earned the mantle in Episode 3 of 'Eyes of Wakanda.' I'd be interested to hear your perspective after you watch the episode, if we can have a respectful discourse."

Much like characters such as Captain America, it is true that Iron Fist is also a mantle and can be carried by anybody who is deemed worthy and so it is never strictly mentioned that it can only be held by a man.

However, actual Marvel lore is still not enough for some fans and discourse surrounding Xiao’s casting continues to swirl online.