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It was <\/span>announced this week<\/span><\/a> that actress Quinta Brunson will star as Betty Boop in an upcoming film adaptation, sparking spirited discussion over Hollywood\u2019s trend of casting traditionally white characters with actors of different races.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Daily Wire host Matt Walsh criticized the decision after Discussing Film shared the announcement on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is only one reason to bring back an iconic piece of Americana just to race swap it like this,\u201d Walsh wrote. \u201cEven a faithful Betty Boop reboot probably wouldn\u2019t sell many tickets. A race swapped Betty Boop has absolutely no chance of success. But they do it anyway out of spite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Walsh later claimed the account blocked him and disabled comments on the post after the backlash intensified.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a pretty interesting way to have a discussion about film,\u201d he wrote in a follow-up post.<\/span><\/p>\n The account \u201cDiscussing Film\u201d turned off the comments and then blocked me. This is a pretty interesting way to have a discussion about film. pic.twitter.com\/XIrQNOiL4w<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Daily Wire host Michael Knowles also weighed in on the controversy during his show on Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cBetty Boop is a white lady. And it changes the story if you try to change that,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re told that race doesn\u2019t matter. It\u2019s a social construct. It\u2019s totally meaningless. So all the white characters can and really should be played by black people or Hispanic people or just non-white people. But surely no one\u2019s ever casting Tom Cruise to play Malcolm X in the autobiography of Malcolm X.\u201d<\/p>\n As the controversy lit up online, many commenters argued that Betty Boop was actually based on a black woman, but even the left-leaning outlet PBS admitted that is a misrepresentation. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA short item promoting PBS\u2019 Black History Month programming suggested the Betty Boop cartoon character was based on a black performer of the Jazz Age,\u201d the outlet <\/span>posted<\/span><\/a> in 2021. \u201cThat\u2019s not entirely true.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The outlet noted that Betty Boop is widely believed to have been inspired by jazz performer Helen Kane.<\/span><\/p>\n Betty Boop debuted on August 9, 1930, in the Fleischer Studios cartoon short \u201cDizzy Dishes,\u201d in which she appeared as an anthropomorphic dog. Kane later sued Fleischer and Paramount Pictures in 1932, claiming Betty Boop was a \u201cdeliberate caricature\u201d of her \u201cbaby vamp\u201d persona, the outlet noted.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite these facts, there are plenty of commenters who insist Betty Boop was inspired by the black singer Esther Jones, or, at the very least, that Kane was ripping off Jones the whole time, thereby indirectly contributing to the creation of the character.<\/p>\n Brunson, best known for creating and starring in ABC\u2019s \u201cAbbott Elementary,\u201d is developing and starring in the film adaptation through her company, Fifth Chance Productions, which teamed up with Mark Fleischer, who is the grandson of Betty Boop creator Max Fleischer, according to a Variety report<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The outlet noted that the movie will trace the origin and evolution of Betty Boop through the perspective of her creator.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBetty Boop is one of our nation\u2019s most beloved cartoon characters, yet somehow still remains pleasantly niche,\u201d Brunson wrote in a statement. \u201cShe has had a quiet but undeniable impact on culture for nearly a century. After Erin and I met with Mark and learned more about his grandfather\u2019s creation of Betty, I realized there was a much deeper story to tell. One that could be explored in a way that feels refreshing, subversive, and timeless, much like Betty herself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Fleischer said, \u201cWhen Quinta first approached me with the unique concept of a movie about the relationship of my grandfather, Max Fleischer, and his creation, Betty Boop, I was breathtaken. Quinta so embodies Betty\u2019s love of life, intelligence, humor, sassiness and compassion that the relationship between her as Betty and Max burst into life at its mere mention.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n