Current Events > Dwayne Johnson faces backlash for being cast as a black character in a movie

(+) Yeah! (+)

This is a role for Terry Crews. Its weird but you want that visual distinction in a movie like this. Dwayne's name just sells more tickets or clicks or whatever. Dwayne is definitely black and somoan though.

For a scale to see where i stand, i prefer a red headed Wally West, Johnny Storm could be black, Superman (although alien) is farm boy white, and James Bond should be Idris Elba.
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Tyranthraxus posted...

KamenRiderBlade posted...

So being 50% black heritage isn't good enough?

I mean would you cast him as Lex Luthor?

Hell the fuck yes.
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And this is why we miss Michael Clark Duncan. Dude would have been a perfect John Henry.

dodgefan91 posted...

And this is why we miss Michael Clark Duncan. Dude would have been a perfect John Henry.

We still have Mark Henry.

wait so the rock can play the white hero hercules but somehow cannot play a black character

lmao
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Esrac posted...

AvantgardeAClue posted...

Esrac posted...

AvantgardeAClue posted...

Johnson has played white, black and Pacific Islander characters in the past.

Wait who

It might be a little stretch, but Johnson played the protagonist in Walking Tall in 2004. It was a remake of the movie Walking Tall from 1973, which started a white man as a white protagonist. Both movies are adaptations of the real life of Buford Pusser, who was a white sheriff in Tennessee.

Ehh I remember that movie and that's definitely a reach by the writer

Well, it's a fictionalized adaptation of the life and career of a real person that was set in the modern day. Yeah, Johnson's racial demographic isn't faithful to Buford Pusser's, but they took a lot of liberties and obviously a 1:1 adaptation wasn't remotely a priority.

I did also mention Hercules and, checking his filmography, he played Mitch Buchannon in the Baywatch movie, who was originally a white character played by David Hasselhoff.

Regardless, of those, the only one that I think might be actually applicable to the claim that he played a white character is Hercules. Depending on if we count Hercules, a Greek character, as white or Mediterranean.

He is also set to play Kurt Russell's character from Big Trouble in Little China.
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CmPope posted...

Skye Reynolds posted...

Howl posted...

Skye Reynolds posted...

It might be a little unfair to The Rock, but he probably should step down from this role and take another in its place.

Why? He's not black enough iyo?

He doesn't look black. At all.

It's probably a good financial decision. I can't think of anyone off the top of my head who would guarantee the film's financial success the way he would, so I guess in that regard it is the best decision to go ahead and let him play the role.

Troll somewhere else kid..

No trolling. Just stating the truth. Realistically, the role should go to someone else. But I can't think of anyone who would guarantee a profit the way that Dwayne Johnson would.

Idris Elba couldn't guarantee box office returns. Terry Crews couldn't. The late Michael Clarke Duncan would've been perfect for the role had the film been made in the early 2000s. Rampage Jackson would be miscast. I can't really think of anyone else who has the physique and the ethnicity to realistically play John Henry. Heck, even Idris Elba is probably a bit too small for the role. John Henry needs to be played by somebody who could credibly pass for the strongest man alive.

I hate giving an iconic black role to a man who's only 1/4 black, but it's the financially stable decision unless people should protest the casting decision. I was firmly against Johnny Depp playing Tonto. I should probably be equally opposed to Dwayne Johnson playing John Henry. But whereas The Lone Ranger had an obvious solution -- cast Johnny Depp as the Ranger himself and let a Native American play Tonto -- I don't think the story of John Henry quite has such an easy solution. Cast Dwayne Johnson as John Henry's ethnically ambiguous friendly rival?

If they dont want the movie to be successful then they shouldnt pick The Rock.
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@kuwab0 posted...

Did these people complain when he was in The Nation of Domination

Here are some other members of the Nation -


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This just seems like the Rocks kind of movie.

He carries movies with weak or plots that show no promise.

I mean rampage and skyscraper look like the same film and I read more about his dieting to be huge in Hercules than the actual movie.

People watch his movies for him. This is basically "Watch the Rock race a train" -the movie.
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Is it white sjws complaining or actually black people?

Either way though, that is pretty bad.
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The Henry says this, you take that steam drill, lube it up real good, turn that son of a bitch sideways and stick it straight up your candy ass!
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The rock is Polynesian not black

L0Z posted...

The rock is Polynesian not black

This is the Rock's dad:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Johnson
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Bad_Mojo posted...

@kuwab0 posted...

Did these people complain when he was in The Nation of Domination

Here are some other members of the Nation -

Looks quite black to me
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John Henry the folklore legend is African American. Duane's father is Nova Scotian with dark skin

Slave labor, still driving like John Henry. -RZA
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Casting a kinda black guy is there way of white washing this story.

Soon guys like Channing Tatum are going to be playing MLK
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