Game of Thrones' Finn Jones to play Iron Fist on Netflix, Sparks Controversy

The role of martial arts superhero Iron Fist in the character's upcoming Netflix series was bound to be a thankless one, but we learned this week that an enthusiastic young actor has signed on to play the part anyway. Finn Jones, who plays Ser Loras Tyrell in HBO's Game of Thrones, will star in the Netflix original, joining the growing cast of Netflix's corner of the Marvel Universe.

As is the case with almost every casting decision for an established comic book character, Jones' choice for the Iron Fist role ignited some outrage on the internet. This time, however, it wasn't the fans who were taking exception to the actor chosen for the role. Some critics of the casting objected to the fact that Jones, who is white, was chosen to play a character who specializes in Asian martial arts, arguing that an Asian actor would be a more appropriate choice for the role.

The complaints triggered some backlash, though, from fans who pointed out that the Marvel character has always been a white man with a passion for Asian martial arts, making Jones a choice that's perfectly in line with the character's history.

The Iron Fist character is the fourth and final Marvel superhero to be featured in his own original series on Netflix. Eventually, Iron Fist will team up with Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage to form The Defenders, a super team that will be the subject of a fifth series.