An important detail in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake proves that the controversy surrounding Astrid’s casting is unnecessary. Since live-action remakes are becoming more and more prominent and the 2010 How to Train Your Dragon animated film is beloved, the new version of the story getting announced made a lot of sense. Plus, it helps that Dean DeBlois, who directed all three original How to Train Your Dragon movies, desperately wanted to helm the live-action remake of the story. Because of his involvement, the live-action remake is very faithful to the original animated movie.

Since it respects the source material, reviews for How to Train Your Dragon have been very good, with Screen Rant’s own Sarah Moran giving it an 8 out of 10. However, some fans have argued that Astrid shouldn’t have been played by Nico Parker, who is of mixed race. Since Astrid is a white girl with blonde hair in the animated film, Parker’s casting is a change to the character. Astrid’s casting has led to controversy, but a scene near the beginning of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake immediately proves that Parker playing the character makes sense.

Live-Action Stoick Addressed The Diversity Of Their Viking Tribe

Stoick Even Mentions Some Members Traveling On The Silk Road

After the initial dragon attack in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake, basically the entire Viking tribe that resides on Berk gathers in a meeting to address their problems. While speaking to the other Vikings, Stoick, the tribe’s leader, talks about how diverse the group is, indicating that fate brought them all together to fight the dragons. As Stoick makes his speech, Black and Asian Vikings are shown, which is a major change from the original animated movie.

In the animated film, practically all the Vikings on Berk are White. However, in his speech at the beginning of the remake, Stoick explains that the Vikings have traveled all over the world and intermingled with several different cultures. Therefore, the How to Train Your Dragon remake wastes no time establishing that the Viking tribe on Berk is a lot more diverse than it was in the animated movie. Because of this, Astrid being mixed race makes perfect sense and should not even be questioned.

How To Train Your Dragon Was Always Viking-Inspired

But It’s More Fantastical Than Historical Anyway

Even though the clan being culturally diverse is established in the live-action remake, some may still point out that this detail is not historically accurate. While Vikings are generally thought of as White, How to Train Your Dragon’s explanation that the clan has traveled all over the world and interacted with different races makes perfect sense. After all, Vikings throughout history definitely did not remain in one corner of the world. Before the release of the movie, DeBlois even stated this while addressing How to Train Your Dragon’s casting concerns. He said:

Then we found Nico Parker, who could actually play all of that with confidence. People who are online who are complaining she’s not blonde enough or not white enough, just wait till they see the performance. The performance tells me [everything I need to know]. It’s also an expanded mythology, so not everyone needs to be white in this community. They are a gathering of warriors from all of these different places, under the same Viking banner.

The truth is, the Vikings did travel far and wide. They were on the Silk Road. They’re in the Far East. They’re in North Africa. They even had a name for North Africa, which is called Bláland. They interacted with all of these cultures and traded with all of these cultures. So it makes sense.

In addition to claiming that Vikings of different races are not unrealistic, DeBlois also emphasized that How to Train Your Dragon is a fantasy story. Sure, the franchise is inspired by history, but it includes many different kinds of dragons and other magical elements. Therefore, there is no reason for fans to criticize Parker’s casting in the How to Train Your Dragon remake. DeBlois’ justifications all make sense, and it’s great that the diversity of the Viking clan is addressed in the actual movie, as well.

How To Train Your Dragon Remake’s Lore Update Resolves The Astrid Casting Backlash

Astrid Didn’t Need To Have Pure Vikings Features Anymore

Overall, based on DeBlois’ above comments and the fact that the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie features Vikings that are from many different regions of the world, there is no longer any reason to complain about Parker’s casting in the movie. Even if the Black and Asian Vikings that are seen in the meeting aren’t the most important characters in the film, they prove that Parker’s casting makes perfect sense. Additionally, Parker delivers an amazing performance in How to Train Your Dragon, so complaining about her race is completely unnecessary.