When we were kids, you always wanted to be a hero. Whether you were cosplaying BA Barcus with your jean jacket and Mardi Gras beads, or wearing your pink pajamas and being a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, we all wanted to be heroes. And thanks to ever increasing access to technology, there is a real possibility as adults to even cosplay or role play our way into some great stories, even capturing them as fan films.
First, imagine if you “made it” in Hollywood but still had a great love for a character that might never make it on screen. Jon Huertas has had an excellent career and is most notable for his long running portrayal of Javier Esposito in the television show Castle and is currently starring in the NBC cry fest This is Us as Miguel. He has had an excellent career and I am sure through that he has made some connections. So, as a Hispanic actor with a great love for the Marvel character White Tiger, Huertas made a short fan film.
Marvel Fan Films
The White Tiger is a Marvel character that isn’t likely going to get some big screen love without some push. His backstory is he discovers some amulets, because those things are just lying around New York City and he gets the power of three men and fighting abilities. (It is way more convoluted than that but until Marvel gives me a monthly column, this is all you get.)
So, the character is a street level hero, of Puerto Rican descent and Jon Huertas counted him as a favorite. And through his production made the fan film below. Note: it is dark, even darker than the Defenders series on Netflix (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage). There is graphic language, especially some sexual slurs, and violence. But it is an interesting take on a character that probably isn’t at the top of Marvel’s Things to Race to Production list.
White Tiger P.O.C. from Jon Huertas on Vimeo.
Now, a character that we are likely to see on the big screen sooner or later is the teenage guardian of Jersey City, Ms. Marvel aka Kamala Khan. Since being introduced by G. Willow Wilson, the character has become a fan favorite, especially among the Muslim community that she represents. And with a tremendous fanbase that crosses all ethnicities, a fan made film was likely destined to happen.
Fans Anita Kalathara & Landis Aponte created the short film “Kamala”. It tells a short bit of her story while capturing several of the key parts of her backstory and origin. The film is on YouTube and linked below. Certainly, when she is in the eventual Young Avengers movie, the special effects will be of a higher quality but as a fan-made work of love, this piece of art is pretty great and worth checking out as well.
So we all have our favorites. If you could get the hustle together, who would you like to see in a fan film?
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