Whenever a beloved piece of entertainment gets adapted and starts featuring BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ characters that weren’t present in the source material, the internet goes crazy. This casting decision is often too much for radical (not to say prejudiced) fans to handle or grasp, which prompts them to react angrily to the news. New Prime Video seriesThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris just another title that faced its share of backlash from so-called die-hard Middle-Earth fans. When the cast got revealed, there were a lot more Black people included than in all previous six movies combined, not to mention the first female dwarf and the most “outrageous” of all: a Black elf, played byIsmael Cruz Cordova– who is also of Latin descent.Even though this portion of the fandom eventually moves on to attack the next casting controversy, it’s always important to keep advocating for stories and settings that better reflect the reality of the world — and most importantly, for work environments that provide equal opportunities for all people. That’s why former and current cast members of theLord of the Ringsfranchise took to Twitter to showcase some merch that supports the idea that everyone has a place in the fantasy franchise. In three photos posted online, the new series’ young Galadriel (Amelie Child Villiers) and fan-favorite hobbitsElijah Wood(Frodo),Dominic Monaghan(Merry),Billy Boyd(Pippin), andSean Astin(Sam) are all seen wearing attire that features the different types of ears (“normal” and pointy) that exist in theLord of the Ringsuniverse, and in different skin tones. The ears are displayed side by side under a message written in Elvish, which translates to “You are all welcome here.”The photos were posted by the stars themselves, which prompted the reaction of Cordova, who replied to Wood by writing “Much love” with a heart, Black fist, and elf emoji. Cordova’s co-starBenjamin Walker, who plays elf High King Gil-galad, also praised and thanked Wood and his friends. The series of photos was celebrated byDon Marshall, who created the artwork and put it up for sale on his online store.RELATED:‘Percy Jackson’ Author Rick Riordan Voices Support For Leah Sava Jeffries After Casting BacklashIn a recent interview withTotal Film, showrunnersJ.D. PayneandPatrick McKayaddressed the “political correctness” of the series, and fan accusation that the cast selection does not reflect Tolkien’s stories. They completely disagree with that take, as Payne makes it clear:
“Tolkien wrote about it at length. This was one of his debate points with C.S. Lewis, his friend and colleague. It was very important that what he was creating was not an allegory. He was not commenting on historical events of his time or another time. He was not trying to transmit a message that spoke to contemporary politics. He wanted to create a mythos that was timeless, and would be applicable – that was his word, ‘applicable’ – across times. Every single choice we’ve made at every turn of making this show has been to be faithful to that aspiration, because that’s what we want as viewers. We don’t want to adapt the material in a way that might feel dated. We aspire to being timeless.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerpremiered on Prime Video last Friday with two episodes. Ever since it debuted, the series has been constantly praised by viewers and critics for its whopping production values and familiar Tolkien-feel of the different arcs.
The streamer is set to release a new episode this Friday, September 9.
You can check out the casts' posts and watch a trailer for the series below:
