I initially wrote this comic when news broke that the first draft of Disney’s live action Mulan featured a European trader who falls in love with and saves Mulan. Clearly, she would not be pleased. Since the initial report and well deserved shit storm, Disney announced that the entire cast of the movie will be Asian which should placate those screaming about whitewashing.
Slow down.
Certainly, I was disturbed to see a white male protagonist in a movie about Mulan. But to me, the greater sin was the notion that a man needed to save the day in a story that was essentially a coming-of-age tale about a woman fighting for her family and country. She didn’t need a man in the cartoon. Why would she need a man in the live action version. So while I greet the casting news with a great big smile, I still hesitate because we haven’t heard if the man-saves-Mulan angle from that first draft is still in there.
I get it. Disney has had a lot of success turning their animated features into live action adaptations. And there’s a lot of excitement around Emma Watson as Belle. So it would make a lot of sense for Disney to take a live action swing at Mulan. BUT FOR FUCK’S SAKE, do that shit right! Mulan doesn’t need a savior. Mulan IS the savior.
If you liked this comic, you can get a big ass 600dpi version over at my Patreon suitable for printing and hanging and maybe mailing to a Disney executive.
PANEL 1
Hua Mulan reads the first draft of the script.
PANEL 2
She looks up with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
MULAN
Really? Really.
PANEL 3
She puts her hand up to her brow.
MULAN
Look, Disney. I get it. You’re making a movie about me, not a documentary. So I don’t expect you to get all the details right. But let me make one thing perfectly clear.
PANEL 4
She’s very stern.
MULAN
I don’t need a man to save me.
PANEL 5
She raises an eyebrow.
MULAN
Let alone some European merchant who I’m supposed to fall in love with? Where did— do you— mother fucker WHY? That’s like making a movie about Bruce Lee starring a white guy.
PANEL 6
She looks off panel.
MULAN
Wait, what? THAT’S A THING?
PANEL 7
She looks back and scowls
PANEL 8
She takes a deep breath.
PANEL 9
She continues.
MULAN
If you think you need a white man to sell a movie, leave me out of it. But if you’re going to tell my story, tell MY story.
PANEL 10
Epic pose.
MULAN
I fight my own battles. I don’t need a savior. I am Hua Mulan.
Author note: so I wrote this before Disney announced that the entire cast is gonna be Asian. Which is great. But I still worry about the man-saves-Mulan aspect of that first draft. Cautiously hopeful.
PANEL 1
Hua Mulan reads the first draft of the script.
PANEL 2
She looks up with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
MULAN
Really? Really.
PANEL 3
She puts her hand up to her brow.
MULAN
Look, Disney. I get it. You’re making a movie about me, not a documentary. So I don’t expect you to get all the details right. But let me make one thing perfectly clear.
PANEL 4
She’s very stern.
MULAN
I don’t need a man to save me.
PANEL 5
She raises an eyebrow.
MULAN
Let alone some European merchant who I’m supposed to fall in love with? Where did— do you— mother fucker WHY? That’s like making a movie about Bruce Lee starring a white guy.
PANEL 6
She looks off panel.
MULAN
Wait, what? THAT’S A THING?
PANEL 7
She looks back and scowls
PANEL 8
She takes a deep breath.
PANEL 9
She continues.
MULAN
If you think you need a white man to sell a movie, leave me out of it. But if you’re going to tell my story, tell MY story.
PANEL 10
Epic pose.
MULAN
I fight my own battles. I don’t need a savior. I am Hua Mulan.
Author note: so I wrote this before Disney announced that the entire cast is gonna be Asian. Which is great. But I still worry about the man-saves-Mulan aspect of that first draft. Cautiously hopeful.
