Image Source: The CW
Ava DuVernay had a vision to bring a new kind of superhero story to life in The CW’s “Naomi”: an autonomous story where the titular character (played by Kaci Walfall) could live in her own “Naomi-verse” and redefine what representation looks like on TV. The new DC drama follows “cool, confident, comic book–loving teenager” Naomi in pursuit of “her hidden destiny” as she unearths a supernatural mystery in her hometown and discovers her own special powers.
Compared to other superhero shows that have used race as a plot device, “Naomi” offers a refreshing approach to representation that doesn’t throw the obvious in viewers’ faces. Though the series centers Walfall’s character, the focus is not placed on her skin color, but rather her perspective as a high schooler through a comic-driven coming-of-age story. “Miss Ava always says, this is a really good thing that the show is grounded in normalization,” Walfall tells POPSUGAR. “It’s representation, it’s not tokenism, it’s normalization. You see this girl living her life, and she’s a Black girl, but she’s not always talked about [from that point of view] in the show because it’s grounded in normalization based on her environment.”
Source: Read Full Article
