Brand new emojis for the Anya Taylor-Joy (Magik), Charlie Heaton (Cannonball), Blu Hunt (Mirage), Henry Zaga (Sunspot), and Alice Braga (Cecilia Reyes).
Zaga's casting in particular has drawn some criticism from fans, especially in recent months. In the comics, Sunspot, or Roberto da Costa, was originally depicted as a dark-skinned Brazilian man. While Zaga is Brazilian himself, he also has much lighter skin than Sunspot does in some of his comic appearances. As a result, fans have been divided on whether or not Zaga playing Sunspot qualifies as another instance of whitewashing in Hollywood.
In honor of The New Mutants' Comic-Con@Home , new emojis were released for each of the main characters. Fans on Twitter (via Rosie Knight) were quick to note that Sunspot's emoji has light skin reminiscent of Zaga's, with one, Bully, the Antifacist Bull even pulling up an example of how Sunspot looked in the comics. Needless to say, there's a notable difference in their appearances.
Considering how the emoji is really just designed to resemble Zaga, it's not necessarily an issue with the emoji itself. However, it does draw attention to the fact that Zaga's Sunspot has a different appearance than the one from the comics. Whitewashing continues to be an issue within the entertainment industry, with notable examples in recent years being Ghost in the Shell and Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange.
Whether this will prove detrimental towards The New Mutants' success remains to be seen, though for the most part, fans still seem eager to see this movie. At the Comic-Con@Home , The New Mutants notably stuck by its current August release date, indicating they really hope there won't be any further delays. When it comes to Sunspot, it's a difficult matter that speaks to a greater issue within Hollywood. While Zaga will no doubt do an excellent job in The New Mutants, it does show that the movie industry needs to be more mindful about the implications of their casting decisions.
