Marvel has done something exciting for Season 3 of Jessica Jones. While your favorite detective series is on its way, it seems like this superhero genre series is forging a new path for others. Why? This entertainment giant has for the first time chose an Indian American actor, who belongs from a transgender community for this series.
Aneesh Sheth will be Gillian, an assistant to Jessica’s detective agency in the third season. Born in Pune, Sheth moved to America at a young age and was seen in 2011’s Outsourced. She is a singer, actress, producer, director, writer, and also a transgender activist.
While talking to a UK-based publication, iNews, Aneesh mentioned that in the show there is no mention of the gender which she finds to be wonderful as it sends a message that trans population does exist in the regular world and this doesn’t mean that one has to highjack a narrative without to prove a point.
Further, Sheth mentioned that she had a huge discussion with the creator of Jessica Jones, Melissa Rosenberg about the character Gillian’s background and where she came from. “That’s very exciting as an actor, to be able to have a say in where I want this story to go. Marginalized actors are getting the power to create narratives within shows like this. I think that’s really important,” she said to the publication.
Watch the trailer here-
The change is here to stay when it comes to casting it seems as the decision came months after Ruby Rose was cast as an openly lesbian Batwoman.
Not just that. Before this, Supergirl cast Nicole Maines was seen in a brief role as the first transgender hero in television. Rewind 18 months back, how can we forget Marvel’s beautiful gift in the form of Hollywood’s first African superhero T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman? Also, in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, for the first time, an Afro-Hispanic boy played the lead.
Have you watched Jessica Jones on Netflix?