Michael B. Jordan is catching backlash from racists who are upset over his upcoming role as Johnny Storm in the film Fantastic Four. The role of Johnny Storm has always been portrayed as white in the comic book series and in other previous films.
Some of the racists comments on Twitter include,”I know Michael B. Jordan’s a great actor. But he’s black and Johnny Storm is white”; “Not racist or anything, but having Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm is dumb”; “Why is Michael B. Jordan playing Johnny Storm, the character is white” and “Is anyone gonna talk about the fact that Michael B. Jordan is black, he can’t be Johnny Storm.”
The racism that has been aimed at Jordan is appalling. But while Jordan has received backlash for playing a white super hero, it’s highly likely that those who are upset weren’t outraged at Hollywood’s history of whitewashing.
Several examples of white actors playing minorities include, Johnny Depp’s portrayal of an American Indian in The Lone Ranger; Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of a black woman in A Mighty Heart; Jim Sturgess’ portrayal of an Asian-American in 21; and Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of a “non-white, with dark, olive skin” in The Hunger Games.
Furthermore, white filmmakers are often hired to create black-themed films without hiring black writers or producers. Recent examples of this include The Help, 42 and the upcoming Get On Up, the James Brown bio pic.
So while it may seem strange for a black man to play a white character in a movie, Hollywood is known to blur the lines in the favor of the majority when it comes to race.
