Marvel's movies are finally starting to show some diversity with their leading stars, and the comics have been really pushing for greater inclusivity in recent years, but it wasn't always this way.
Lyrica Okano, who plays Nico Minoru in Marvel's Runaways, has said that she found it difficult to relate to the comic giant's superheroes when she was growing up, but is glad that things have turned around.
"It's nice to know that fans are really excited about what we're doing with our characters," the actress told Digital Spy during a set visit.
Related: Runaways' Julian McMahon reveals why he returned to Marvel after Fantastic Four
"For me personally, growing up as an Asian-American, it was hard for me to see people that I could relate to and look up to on TV and in films.
"I get asked if there's any Marvel superheroes that I felt like I could relate to and the honest truth is no. I realised how important this was for a lot of people who were just like me and they're now eager to watch the show."
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"Do I feel a lot of pressure?" she pondered. "Maybe at 3am when I'm stuck alone with my thoughts but most of the time I just feel really, really lucky to have this responsibility in the first place."
Okano's co-star Gregg Sulkin, who plays Chase Stein in the show, also praised the show's inclusivity, adding: "I do think what is great about this comic compared to others is that it was one of the first ones to add diversity in this way.
"Now, over a decade later, we get to bring that life. For us, it's a great opportunity, and a privilege, to raise and tackle these topics that should be addressed."
Marvel's Runaways airs Wednesdays at 9pm on Syfy UK.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
