Fanboy

On March 10, 2019, casting announcements were made for the upcoming blockbuster film, Vasco Irkin: Cosmic Navigator. The film, which is based on the globally successful series of sci-fi novels, and which promised to be only the first in a series of films, would revolve around the exploits of protagonist Vasco Irkin, described by the character's creator as, "a sort of intergalactic freedom fighter-slash-bounty hunter, with a streak of Robin Hood in his DNA." 

Upon the announcement that the lead role, which fans had speculated would go to Chris Pratt, would actually be played by Michael B. Jordan, chaos ensued in the social media world. 

Avid fan of the Irkin Vasco novels Hank Modine took to Twitter with the following Tweets:

Total pandering to libtard agenda. Vasco Irkin is WHITE. I should know: I've won 6 ribbons at cosplay events in the last three years, with my perfect Irkin simulation.

Heart broken. Jordan is NOT the Vasco Irkin we know and love. R there no white actors, anymore? #BoycottVascoIrkinMovie #VascoAintBlack #WhiteVasco

I liked Black Panther just fine, but this is BS. Give us the Vasco Irkin we deserve #BoycottVascoIrkinMovie #WhiteActorsMatterToo 

I M NOT RACIST! Just talking about what's right. #WhiteIsRight #WhiteActorsMatterToo

If U care about Vasco Irkin, go to Rotten Tomatoes and give this movie a thumbs down. #KillThisMovie #BoycottVascoIrkinMovie #WhiteActorsMatterToo

Modine's rant garnered significant attention, and the hashtags he created trended for three days, turning Modine into an instant internet celebrity. When People Magazine picked up the story and interviewed him, the 46 year old Cable TV technician was quoted as saying, "I have nothing against black people. Nothing. This is NOT about racism, but about what's right. It's about the true and accurate history of the Vasco Irkin universe. I've read all 12 of the novels multiple times. I've been heavily involved in Irkin cosplay. I've even written Vasco Irkin fan fiction. If anyone knows this character, it's me, and Vasco Irkin is NOT black. I like Chris Pratt for the role, myself, but ANY of the Chrises would be great. What the hell is Chris Evans doing, now that the Avengers saga is about to be tied up? Did they even call him? I'm just so sick of everything being so politically correct, and EVERY role going to a black guy, even when the character is white!"

People also reached out to the notoriously reclusive author of the Vasco Irkin novels, who would also serve as Executive Producer of the film. Sylvia Montey, who cites Alexander Dumas, Octavia Bulter, Alejandro Carpentier, and Jane Austen as her main literary influences, made an exception to her 'no media contact' policy and issued the following statement:

"We auditioned a number of actors for this role, and Michael B. Jordan was the clear favorite of all involved. He's an amazing, versatile actor. He's the perfect age and build. He has the sort of screen presence we rarely see, anymore. What's more, he's a huge fan of the Vasco Irkin novels, and he understands the vision I have for this character and the universe the character inhabits. The question of race is puzzling, especially since Vasco Irkin, the character I created, hails from a planet in a ficticious, far-away star system, where there are no European or African beings. Race is a man-made construct, and Vasco Irkin is not a man or a woman, but an entirely different species of being."

Vasco Irkin: Cosmic Navigator was released in January, 2020, to rave reviews, and broke all box office records for a science fiction film.