SHOULD BLACK ADAM HAVE BEEN PLAYED BY A MENA ACTOR?
WHEN BLACK ADAM blasted into cinemas last month, it reignited a conversation: was The Rock the right man to play the DC antihero? The debate wasn’t a reflection of his talent or performance: the star’s physique and charisma make him a natural fit for a superbeing (so much so, his spandex debut feels long overdue). Instead, many wondered whether a MENA actor ought to have played the part, given the film’s Middle-Eastern inspirations.
In Black Adam, Johnson’s character hails from Kahndaq — afictional country clearly based on Egypt. It’s a role that could have benefited from being played by someone from the region instead of a Black American star with Samoan heritage — especially given the historic lack of opportunities for MENA actors in Hollywood.