Nia and Thandie probably lucked out not getting/taking the role. I distinctly remember Lucy Liu complaining about her part in the first film being one-note and fetishtistic. That's why they gave her character the "arc" of telling her father her real job in the sequel. I can only imagine what they would have written for a black Alex given some of some of the questionable scenes Lucy had to shoot as an Asian woman. Like, did she HAVE to play a stereotypical happy-ending masseur while they played" I Think I'm Turning Japanese"?