Hollywood drama is not all about the movies that you get to watch on the big screen. One of the most popular themes of the entertainment industry that has been widely discussed is the matter of actors who appeared before even a single scene was filmed. Casting has become the center of attention not only for the scenes themselves but also for the whole industry, as it is debatable whether we are going to be congratulating, outraging, or breaking down the net. Besides, the issue of Hollywood choosing to remix certain characters rather than let the already existing ones rule for another hundred years has also been discussed a lot.
These changes have been the main evidence of how much the television audience is all about tradition and how moving the business of Hollywood forward is still so hard. Here are the 9 hottest casting and representation scenes that have recently been in the news for their controversial nature.
9. Storm Reid as Meg in A Wrinkle in Time
The interpretation of Storm Reid as Meg Murray in the 2018 remake of Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time was not a charmed instant follower reaction. A large number of readers who were true to the novel were shocked by the depiction of Meg as a black girl, and thus, Meg shunned with loud backlash was their first reaction. Still, Reid was not disappointed; on the contrary, she put her finger on it and said that real change is always uncomfortable, and that’s the only way forward. The casting fueled the discussion about who should play the characters in big-budget fantasy and why we always visualize them as fitting the same limited molds.
8. Nico Parker in The Last of Us
Despite the high critical success of HBO’s show, the selection of Parker to play Sarah was followed by an internet negativity wave. The video game fans who asked for a character thoroughly similar to the original one in the game, and thus, Sarah was one of them, advised Parker not to accept the role. She handled the criticism, but made it clear that there was no reason to assume that she was part of a certain group; on the contrary, she pointed out that diversity is only for the enrichment of the storyline.
7. Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok
Marvel’s Valkyrie was historically white in the comics, but casting Tessa Thompson shook things up. What ensued was a tide of racist trolling that Thompson confronted with calls for genuine discussions on systemic racism. Ultimately, she didn’t just silence her critics; her Valkyrie was one of the most adored additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
6. Laci Mosley on the iCarly Reboot
Working on a reboot of another old series should have been exciting for Laci Mosley, but she received a large amount of racist comments. Right after her casting announcement, she said that she came across more racial discrimination than she had in her whole life combined. Mosley did not hesitate to tell the haters that Black is beautiful and that she was not going anywhere. It was a situation that showed the very darkest side of “fan culture” and how hateful it can be for the little changes.
5. Amandla Stenberg as Rue in The Hunger Games
Though the character of Rue is described in Collins’ book as having brown skin, casting Amandla Stenberg still led to a racist uproar on the web. Some trolls went so far as to say that Rue’s death in the story was “less sad” because the character was Black. Stenberg responded to the backlash with maturity, and the incident is now a case where racism is clearly shown to be persistent even when the original work is not ambiguous.
4. Zendaya as MJ in Spider-Man
Zendaya’s interpretation of Mary Jane was a clever, humorous, completely fresh spin that breathed new life into the character. But initially, when the casting was announced, the internet lost its mind over the fact that MJ wasn’t a white redhead. Zendaya rode out the criticism in her usual elegance, and by the time the films were released, even the critics acknowledged she’d become her own MJ. Talent, it seemed, counted more than hair color.
3. Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid
Disney’s casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel sparked a whirlwind, complete with hashtags, dislikes, and mean-spirited commentary about her skin and locs. Bailey, however, remained unbothered, expressing that she was not shocked by the hate as a Black woman but would not allow it to dampen her enthusiasm. Even the original Ariel voice actress, Jodi Benson, spoke out in support. Though there was backlash, Bailey’s casting was a milestone for reimagining who gets to be Disney princesses.
2. Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet
When Francesca Amewudah-Rivers was cast as Juliet in a London West End production, racist trolls were quick to try and spoil the party. Abuse escalated to the point where the theater disabled Instagram comments. In response, more than 800 Black actors signed an open letter of solidarity, demonstrating that though representation might still be greeted with hostility, solidarity is strong.
1. Emilia Pérez and Its Layered Backlash
The Spanish musical, Emilia Pérez, was praised by some as being a revolutionary, in which a Mexican drug lord character goes through a transition to a woman, played by Spanish trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón. However, it was severely criticized by Mexican and trans communities for its stereotypical approach, for presenting the transition as merely a change of disguise, and for the exclusion of the authentic voices of the Mexican community in the creation of the musical. The backlashes were so intense that they made a lot of parodic movies to be produced. Besides, the film kept receiving awards, and there was still the question of whether the industry was the one that defined success or whether the people it represented were.
Emilia Pérez is one among many examples of controversies surrounding casting in the area of representation, from blockbusters to stage productions that depict the still very emotional topic of representation in popular culture. With every move made in favor of representation, there is an equal measure of backlash, but also discussion, support, and usually, the eventual acceptance. The struggle for more and better, genuine, and diverse storytelling is still very active and wouldn’t cease anytime soon, and honestly? That’s a good thing.