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Writer Nadria Tucker on ‘Superman and Lois’: The Show Has Diversity Problems On and Off-screen
[Abridged interview, edited to fit the space]
The internet knew of Nadria Tucker’s work before they heard of her struggle. She was a writer on the ground-breaking Syfy show Krypton and the beloved series Underground. Krypton is the story of Superman’s family, the House of El. The show never lacked diversity in fact, that was a controversial point within the fandom. The Zod family are known villains within the comics, where they were also depicted as white-skinned and evil. In Krypton, the Zod ancestor is a dark-skinned Black woman who intimidates all men who enter her path, except her husband. This change and the fresh origin story were captivating and the reason so many fans of color are eager to see the CW’s Superman & Lois series. It premieres in January 2021.
But Tucker’s opinions on bringing diversity to the new show Superman & Lois were not wanted, as she would soon find out. Worse, her experience is one of a growing number of black voices in the entertainment industry who were speaking out against racism and anti-blackness. The industry had its #MeToo moment, but the racial reckoning is taking much longer to complete.
Tucker recently sat down with me to speak about her experience, in hopes that her story can add to the many others. John Boyega and Ray Fisher are examples. Her story comes from behind the scenes, and with the lesson that diversity is more than adding Black faces, their voices must be heard as well.
So, I was wondering if you would mind first telling us a little bit about yourself and your background?
I am a TV writer, I’ve been working in TV since, 2016. I worked on Underground for WGN In America spent two seasons on Krypton for Syfy. And that’s kind of what, what led me to Superman and Lois and WB.
Um, Krypton was an amazing show.
Oh, my God. Yeah, it was a very easy, very different experience. So just, a lot of fun. And I felt much more heard when it comes to issues, like the ones we’re talking about.
