TV's Black Superheroes Share Their Personal Heroes Who Inspire Them
Who do these Black superheroes look up to and see as their personal heroes?
Some superheroes grow up with capes in mind, but for the Black stars of TV’s biggest comic book shows, the real inspiration often came from home. Their stories are less about flashy powers and more about the people who shaped them first.
From moms who held everything together to the characters they admired long before landing these roles, each actor has a personal connection to the idea of heroism. That makes their casting feel bigger than a job, it feels like a full-circle moment.
And once you see who inspired them, the whole list hits differently.
1. For Javicia Leslie, her ultimate hero is her mom, who was a former army member and raised her and her sibling independently.
As for playing Batwoman, the depth of what it means for a Black woman to portray the character didn’t sink in until she was finally cast. Initially, during the audition process, Javicia didn’t really think they would choose her because of the usual perception of Batwoman in comics, but she went through with it anyway.
The CW2. Moms are awesome, and Kaci Walfall certainly agrees with this sentiment, as she also sees her mom as her personal hero.
Her mom is a principal who runs an elementary school but tried to step back to support Kaci in portraying Naomi McDuffie. Being Naomi gave Kaci a chance to inspire little girls everywhere while enjoying what she does.
The CW3. Martian Manhunter, a.k.a. J’onn J’onnz in Supergirl, is arguably one of the most powerful heroes in the DC universe, and David Harewood was cast to play him.
Growing up, he always looked up to the Incredible Hulk, not only for his strength but also for choosing to use his powers for good. When asked about the Black superhero that inspires him, he chose Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, a film that resonated with him deeply.
Katie Yu/The CW
It also echoes how Kaley Cuoco faced a tense moment with a Hollywood star who overlooked her on Charmed.
4. The Legends became better when Maisie Richardson-Sellers was cast as the complex Vixen/Amaya/Charlie.
She was excited and proud to be part of the representation that is progressing in the entertainment industry. The number of diverse heroes that Maisie watched growing up wasn’t large, so it’s a game-changer to see that things are starting to change.
Dean Buscher/The CW
5. There’s a deep connection between Camrus Johnson and his role as Luke Fox on the show Batwoman.
It was a dream for him to play a hero, and being part of TV history is significant for him. When he was young, he found Static Shock to be very relatable and inspirational, as it showed that Black kids with similar personalities can be heroes too.
Robert Falconer/The CW
6. The kid who grew up looking up to Cyborg became the one to play him on Doom Patrol.
Jovian Wade admitted that he watched Teen Titans and the Justice League, seeing Cyborg as someone he identified with. He had a few more favorites, but being the one playing the hero for kids to look up to and see representation means the world to him.
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7. Black Panther, Namor the Submariner, and his mother are the heroes that made Henry Simmons the man capable of playing Mack on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
He was definitely excited when they chose to go with a Black character for SHIELD’s leader. Henry knows that technically, Mack doesn’t have superpowers, but the fact that he’s running the show behind a team of superheroes provides great representation for kids.
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8. Nafessa Williams was aware that there weren’t many superheroes who looked like her while growing up, and it was with great pride that she was chosen to play Thunder on Black Lightning.
Although she couldn’t relate much to Claire Huxtable when she was young, she was sure that Claire was her superhero.
Annette Brown/The CW
The lack of representation was one of the main reasons Black kids thought it wasn’t possible for them to be superheroes. Slowly but surely, the casts of films and shows are starting to become more diverse.
Those kids who grew up not really seeing themselves in characters are now the ones lending their voices to the future generation. Not only are they enjoying their jobs, but they are also proud of them.
It all comes back to who gets to be seen as a hero.
Javicia Leslie’s mom hero moment got you thinking, check out why Danielle Fishel couldn’t show her arms in the last season.
