The Controversy Over Black Adam Paints Fans In A Bad Light

He’s been known as The Great One, The People’s Champ, The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment, and is one of the biggest Hollywood stars of our generation. Soon, he’ll add Black Adam to his list of names and characters he’s portrayed.

After nearly five thousand years of imprisonment, Black Adam returns to modern times. He’s an anti-hero. His brutish tactics and sense of justice attract a group called the Justice Society Of America. They’ll try to stop his rampage and show him how to be more hero than villain. Ultimately, they’ll need to team up to fight something more powerful than Adam.

If it sounds new, different, and potentially awesome, that’s because it’s a big-budget, special effects-filled, action-adventure that’s going to be new compared to the long-term characters we’ve seen. It’s not Superman and the Justice League, and that’s fine. There needs to be something new for movie fans and superhero fans.

In the modern age, the rise and fall of movies can depend largely on the internet. Internet trolls start tearing apart movies before they’re even released, often without going to see the movies. Small details about the history of a pre-established character will set them into a tizzy that never ends.

Today, while looking through a thread about the movie, I found the proposed boycott of Black Adam. While one of the reasons was just die-hard fans sticking up for the Snyderverse version of the D.C. Universe, the other was another example of people upset by race in moves. That’s an area worth considering.

Race And Pre-existing Characters

Recently I read an article on Medium about cast swaps. While I agreed with some of the ideas being possible, some would be detrimental to the success of the movie. Yes, there's a need for greater representation on the big screen and on television. However, is it what people think needs to happen, or is it a need for new and interesting stories for people of color to make their own?

One of the proposed boycotts is over the character of Carter Hall. Most people know him as Hawkman. In the Black Adam movie, there’s a Hawkman character being played by Aldis Hodge.

As a young one, I watched superfriends. I remember Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the cartoons. I vaguely remember the action figures of the characters, along with Superman and the rest of the Justice League. In D.C.’s Legends Of Tomorrow, there was a Carter Hall as Hawkman and a Hawkgirl.

Hawkman has never appeared on the big screen. In movies, this is a first for the less-than-iconic hero but should prove to be a great addition to the on-screen heroes. In support of the Black Adam movie, I have to point out that this boycott idea over the casting makes those involved look bad.

Cast Swaps

The general idea of swapping actors of different races into roles that have long-established looks is worth examining. What kind of an effect would those moves have on an established franchise? Let’s look at one that has been discussed over the years, James Bond.

Would a “Black” James Bond work with the long-standing fans, or would it alienate the long-standing fans that have put years of fandom into the character? However, a different raced 007 is entirely possible. 007 is a code name for a British Secret Agent. Would it be interesting to see Idris Elba as 007? Yes! 007 can be someone other than the now-deceased James Bond. In some roles, there are immensely talented actors that could be swapped in, and they deserve better than just being a cultural swap to fill the diversity bill.

Black Superman is another project we’ve heard about. In the movies, we have the multi-verse to fall back on. It allows for creativity and multiple views of different characters. As we’ve all seen, the new Black Panther isn’t T’Challa. It’s a woman, likely the character of Riri Williams if I’m reading the history of her character correctly.

With long-standing roles, there’s a history. People don’t like when established history is toyed with, especially for cultural experiments. However, if we move forward with roles, and examine the future of the stories, there’s plenty of room for new and interesting characters to take to the big screen. Considering Hawkman, your Hawkman action figure might have been tan/white. The cartoon image of Hawkman might have made him look white. That doesn’t mean in 2022, a character that’s never been on the big screen, can’t be any qualified actor that wants to read for the part.

Swapping into established roles comes with a risk. There is a level of fandom that could hurt an actor's career if the roles don’t go well. When movies tank at the box office, it’s often the actors that are stung the worst. There are some great actors out there, it would be a shame to see their careers fail because of a cast swap.

Final Thought On Cast Swaps

When movie fans started getting so invested in the production of roles and movies things went off the rails. As a lifelong fan, I hate what the internet and fan buzz have done to the film industry. There have already been damages done by misguided fans that didn't need to happen. Internet trolls and wholesale racists attack everything from the Star Wars series Obi-Wan to ideas about who should be in roles like Scarlett Johannson in Ghost in the Shell. I remember when the switch to the female Ghost Busters received rampant criticism, and it was an entertaining movie even if it didn't feel like our 80's era Ghostbusters. Seeing the idea of a Black Hawkman catch hell and a proposal to boycott the movie going around was disheartening. Aldis Hodge is coming into the role with a SAG award and a solid body of previous work. Fans are lucky to get talented actors to take these newer roles, often doing them for as little as $300,000.00 an appearance.

At the end of the day, the idea of cast swaps is up to the producers and directors. We can debate and discuss them. Attempting to start a boycott over them does little to improve the lives of movie fans, and while it might make a difference once in a while, some of it’s been disgusting. Choose to go or don’t go see Black Adam. Don’t start a boycott over a movie that looks great in the trailers.