Representation is crucial. It’s a phrase that’s been in use over and over, especially in recent years. (https://hopeclinical.com) As Hollywood urges to diversify its narrative and casting processes to be more inclusive of minorities. The upcoming film ‘Black Adam,’ starring Dwayne Johnson, is in middle of a controversy concerning casting shortcomings. Marvel filmmaker Mohammed Diab has criticised DC Extended Universe’s ‘Black Adam’; starring Dwayne Johnson as the titular antihero, for its lack of Egyptian presence.
The Egyptian filmmaker during an interview with The Direct said that the DCEU film could have done more to include the culture of his home country; especially when they were retelling the story of that land. The main issue he sees in the Dwayne Johnson film is that the tale is in “a fictional middle eastern country” after all the story is from Egypt. He thinks it’s in poor taste; and that the filmmakers are using it as an excuse to avoid hiring Egyptian actors.
Black Adam will release in July 2022
The filmmaker said, “I was really annoyed with DC when they set Black Adam in a fictional middle eastern country as an excuse to cast non-Egyptians when it was obviously meant to be in Egypt. Representation opportunities shouldn’t be wasted… But it’s not a full mistake since it’s based on an iteration of the comics that doesn’t mention Egypt.”
Meanwhile, on the DCEU side of things, Black Adam borrows heavily from Egyptian mythology, though DC chose a different path. While it is fantastic to see films such as Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther and Dwayne Johnson‘s Black Adam to hit well on the big screen, more representation is still in need. Inclusion happens when the entire crew gets a chance to make sure their histories are heard; not just when a non-white individual plays the major part.