Alexandra Shipp, actor who plays young Storm in the "X-Men" film franchise, has addressed the criticism surrounding her casting in the role, saying people have no right to tell her that her skintone "doesn't match a Crayola from 1970".
Shipp first starred as the character in 2016's "X-Men: Apocalypse" and was slammed for not having a dark enough skin. Halle Berry played the adult version of the role in "X-Men" (2000), "X2" (2003) "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006) and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014).
Shipp, 26, who reprises her role in the upcoming "Dark Phoenix", said as a child devouring the Marvel Comics, she could always relate with the weather-controlling mutant.
"(I tweeted back) at people who criticised me for not having dark enough skin for my role in X-Men because we're not going to have this conversation about a cartoon character. You're not going to tell me that my skin colour doesn't match a Crayola from 1970.
"Growing up, when I was reading the comics, I pictured her looking like me. For any black girl, for there to be a black superhero, we picture them looking like us," Shipp told Glamour magazine.
Following criticisms that her skin was too light to play Storm in the X-Men franchise, she tweeted, "This conversation about Storm is so stupid, I'm out... If I lose my job to another actress, I hope it's for her talent and grace, not her skin (colour)."
The actor further explains she seized the opportunity of playing the iconic character the moment it came knocking, never doubting herself.
"When I auditioned for the role, I wasn't like, 'Oh man, I'm not dark enough.' I was like, 'Finally, this is my moment'. I'm not playing Harriet Tubman with a prosthetic nose and darkening my skin tone. I would never do that," Shipp said.
"Dark Phoenix" releases February 14 next year.
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