Marvel director QUITS after learning the comic book powerhouse's editor-in-chief 'once pretended to be Japanese to further his career'
Steven DeKnight, a screenwriter and director with Marvel Comics, is stopping work with the company upon learning that Editor-in-Chief CB Cebulski had previously pretended to be Japanese in an effort to further his career.
'How does this man still have a job? Completely unacceptable,' DeKnight wrote Saturday, beginning a series of tweets in which he eventually announced his resignation.
'I love working with Marvel but will not pursue or accept future work until this is resolved. I hope other more high profile creatives in the comic book biz will follow suit.'
DeKnight has previously written a handful of Marvel entries, including 'Wolverine: Black, White & Blood' and was the showrunner and an executive producer for the first season of 'Daredevil.'
'How does this man still have a job? Completely unacceptable,' DeKnight wrote Saturday, beginning a series of tweets in which he eventually announced his resignation
Steven DeKnight, pictured, a screenwriter with Marvel Comics, is done working with the company upon learning that Editor-in-Chief pretended to be Japanese to further his career
CB Cebulski, pictured, used the pseudonym 'Akira Yoshida' in publishing several Marvel comics back in the early 2000s
A Marvel representative did not immediately respond for a request for comment.
In 2017, Cebulski revealed he had used the pseudonym 'Akira Yoshida' in publishing several Marvel comics back in the early 2000s, most of which used Asian themes and characters, according to Yahoo! News.
'Completely unacceptable. Writing for Marvel is a childhood dream come true. My next issues come out in December,' DeKnight's Twitter missive continued.
'But I can’t in good conscience accept any additional work until this is resolved. I hope other creatives will follow suit.'
'Completely unacceptable. Writing for Marvel is a childhood dream come true. My next issues come out in December,' DeKnight's Twitter missive continued
'It was much more than just a pseudonym. The depth of his deception should have disqualified him from even being considered for the position'
DeKnight has previously written a handful of Marvel entries, including 'Wolverine: Black, White & Blood,' pictured
'It was much more than just a pseudonym. The depth of his deception should have disqualified him from even being considered for the position.'
For his part, Cebulski expressed regret over his co-opting of a Japanese name, adding that it was 'never his intention' to cause anyone pain or anger.
Marvel did provide the outlet a statement from 2017 when the initial controversy first took place.
'I'm truly sorry for the pain, anger, and disappointment I caused over my poor choice of pseudonym,' Cebulski said.
'That was never my intention. Throughout my career in anime, manga, and comics, I’ve made it a point to listen and learn from my mistakes, which is exactly what I’ve been trying to do with this misstep.'
However, DeKnight was dismissive of Cebulski's apology, claiming the issue is far more complex than just him adopting a Japanese pseudonym.
'Personally, I’m not looking to destroy the guy's life. But I also don’t think he's fit to be the editor-in-chief, either,' he added on Twitter.
DeKnight was the showrunner and an executive producer for the first season of 'Daredevil,' pictured
'Thank you @StevenDeKnight for being a real ally and using your voice, power, and position to acknowledge, share truth, and advocate for change,' one user tweeted
'His actions — which, for those just joining us, go far beyond adopting a Japanese pseudonym.'
While DeKnight stopped short of calling Cebulski racist, he tweeted it did show a 'deep lack of ethics' for the top editors at Marvel Comics.
The 57-year-old offered up a suggestion to his now-former boss, saying Cebulski should reach out to the Asian community and have a 'truly honest discussion' about the controversy.
'At the very least, I think Cebulski needs to sit down with representatives from the Asian community and have a truly honest discussion about his actions,' he tweeted.
Meanwhile, fans of Marvel took to Twitter in a show of solidarity with DeKnight, with users supporting his use of his platform to cast light on the issue, which has gone mostly unreported in the years since the controversy initially emerged back in 2017.
'Thank you @StevenDeKnight for being a real ally and using your voice, power, and position to acknowledge, share truth, and advocate for change,' one user tweeted.
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