Changing the cultural landscape with Soma in AoS/DoS wasn't really a good move but I didn't make me dislike the games. They had decent music, good mechanics etc. but it didn't make me feel like I was playing a CV game. Independently they're great games, but the storyline is more like "the Asian wonderboy who's warped to Dracula's castle to save his love interest, kick some ass, have interesting encounters with CV related characters, finds out he has an 900 year vampire living inside him, and save the world and himself from destruction end of story". Almost as if the supporting characters and the castle itself is just a giant cameo appearence.
The original CV feel is pretty much unrooted to support the Soma's background and explain who he is. So much is lost from the original formula. A black leading character would just do the same thing or possibly worse.
I know the original poster was being facetious with their comment, but we've already had a mishap with Aos/DoS and don't need anymore and the thought is just unsettling.
Well - eventually the game does have to go in to the modern times. Remember that in the original cannon that the Church has been keeping this battle secret for centuries and will continue, eventually Soma will have to die and the reincarnation will have to happen again. I think I understand from official Konami sources from an interview (someone on the forums mentioned this in a post before, but not this one.) is that with every regeneration cycle he "forgets" certain things now. The reason why the tied mythology from Japan was put into it is for a lot reasons - mostly business and tribute to the country the game origins from, but also keep in mind is that Castlevania has borrowed sources with other forms of Mythology (Atlantis/Greek/Egypt...etc.) so I honestly don't see why there is a problem with implementing this aspect in to the series because the Japanese do have a very interesting mythology, when demons and evil are involved.
What really doesn't make sense to me is the fact that the Japanese normally don't believe in the Christian deity, even to this day, even though there are some who have converted to said religion. And as to why you think is un-rooted is alien to me. The original purpose since day 1 of the series was the fact the game was to pay tribute to classic horror film monsters of movies of the 40s/50s and novels of past ages. (Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula...etc.) That was its real purpose behind it. It didn't fully start developing a story around it until Simon's Quest came out, which implanted a curse on Simon, which we found in CV3 that Dracula has a regeneration cycle. And as for Soma's love interest, in fact that she is the reincarnation of his two other wives (Elizabetha/Lisa.) I mean, shit... Who else would be shocked to know that he is the reincarnation of a true and prime evil? I know I would be... As for the 'save' himself part - yeah I can understand that. But prevent the world from destruction? No you're honestly wrong because there -will- always be a Belmont or someone of that bloodline to put him back in to his regeneration cycle. Had Soma turned - it would of set the Castle free and the cycle, again would continue.
Why do you think Alucard was so afraid? It was because of the fact that he puts himself to sleep for centuries until he is needed due to this 'greater' evil is because of the fact that he is his father's son. And (I am not christian btw.) that the Father's sins will be passed on to their sons. So if Soma is secure it is more than likely a chance (a slim one) that Alucard will take over his father's throne and become an even more threat because he is a day walker. And we all know that Alucard was able to instantly slaughter a Belmont if he really wanted to. The Vampire Killer just damaged him, he was only resistant to it because of his dampirism.
As IGA said - there was a LOT more going on in CV3 then what was released to the public in the US and its been lately since SoTN that we have been discovering more and more elements. It's kinda like saying that Satan in a Castlevania game doesn't mix - especially with the current cannon, in which I find strikingly odd because how can Dracula by the "Prince of Darkness" and have the "Castle of Hell" and have rule of the under world and dominion over its monsters? Well obviously something is going on here...
And what's wrong with a black guy being in Castlevania? Just an fyi guys - Hammer was said to be an African, if I remember correctly (I honestly don't remember where I had read that, but I know it was somewhere. If I find it through a little big of digging I'll post it later.) And also the reason why Ayami's designs are the way they are to give the men a feminine appearance was to attract the female gender to the series... Its a very common thing in Japan, the "Pretty boy" look, as it is very not laughed at thing in their society is known to have a lot of cross-genders, its been in their culture for centuries and respected.