Executive Producer Ava DuVernay Confirms The CW’s Naomi Will Emphasize Identity Politics

John F. Trent |

Jan 7, 2022

The CW’s upcoming superhero series Naomi, based on the miniseries created by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker, will emphasize identity politics, confirms the show’s executive producer Ava DuVernay.

DuVernay, who is infamous for threatening to discriminate against white men, recently talked about the show at the Television Critics Association as reported by Deadline.

“It’s not about representation, it’s about normalization,” the executive producer claimed. “We’re doing really muscular things that relates to race and gender and class but we’re doing it by playing it normal like it’s just a part of the everyday.”

She elaborated, “I say it kiddingly but it’s real. The more you can portray images without underlining or highlighting them and putting a star next to them. By showing a different type of hero that centers a girl, a Black girl, that centers different kinds of folks. We start to make that normal and that’s a radical and revolutionary thing.”

Someone should let her know that Storm was the leader of the X-Men and has been around since 1975.

DuVernay also nixed the idea that the character would be crossing over into any other shows saying, “In terms of crossovers, we’re not thinking about that right now. She’s on her own path and I really think this is the first part of the Naomi-verse.”

“People need to be trying to crossover into here! So we’ll see what happens, but you won’t see any crossovers in Season 1. We’re focused on Naomi’s journey singularly,” she asserted.

While the series is based on Bendis and Walker’s miniseries, DuVernay also said, “We got a lot of information in the first two episodes which means: we get to make up cool new things.”

In the show’s trailer, DuVernay described just who Naomi is, “So Naomi is pretty popular. She lives in the Pacific Northwest in this little town called Port Oswego. She has a really cool crew of friends. She’s a snazzy dresser. She loves comic books. In fact, she really loves Superman comics books.”

“One day something crazy happens in her town, and she finds out why she loves comic books so much and why she loves Superman specifically. And it’s something that blows her mind and is more seismic and cosmic than anyone can imagine.”

“Don’t believe everything you think. That’s what Naomi is about,” she concluded.

https://youtu.be/LsjoSlvT090

The official description from DC Comics for the original comic book series states, “DC’s biggest, newest mystery starts here! When a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes into a small Northwestern town, Naomi begins to uncover the last time a super-powered person visited her home-and how that might tie into her own origins and adoption.”

“Follow Naomi’s journey on a quest that will take her to the heart of the DC Universe and unfold a universe of ideas and stories that have never been seen before. Join writers Brian Michael Bendis and David Walker and breakout artist Jamal Campbell in Wonder Comics’ massively ambitious new series and star…Naomi,” it concludes.

DC Comics announced second miniseries in December titled Naomi Season Two from Bendis, Walker and Jamal Campbell.

They detail the series will see Naomi “uncover the truth behind the new mysteries around herself and her powers.” DC Comics adds, “NAOMI SEASON TWO will look to answer all the questions that surround Naomi, her legacy, and her place in the DC Universe pantheon. Guest-starring Black Adam, Superman, and the Justice League, plus the return of…Zumbado!”

Bendis added his own thoughts saying, “Naomi has been thrown into the deep end of life and the series is about that. What Naomi is going through in the superhero universe is what a lot of people go through in the real world.”

He added, “All the sudden you’re in over your head and things are expected of you and there are still so many questions and mysteries about her parents, birth world, powers and the world she grew up in. You’re in for lots of surprises!”

Walker further detailed, “The first story we wrote was about Naomi learning who she really is, and now this story is all about unpacking the realities of what it means to be a Super Hero.”