BLACK PANTHER Actor Bluntly Addresses The GODS OF EGYPT "Whitewashing" Controversy
Chadwick Boseman, who plays Thoth in Gods Of Egypt, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the casting of predominantly white actors in the roles of mythological Egyptian deities. "People don't make $140 million movies starring black and brown people."
Alex Proyas' fantasy adventure, Gods Of Egypt, came under so much fire for the perceived "whitewashing" of the main roles that both the director and Lionsgate actually issued an apology for not making more of an effort to diversify the picture. Now, one of the few actors of color in the movie, Chadwick Boseman, has shared his thoughts on the matter during an interview with GQ - and he doesn't hold back.
Boseman says after reading the script, one of the reasons he took the role of Thoth was specifically to add some diversity to the proceedings.
"I generally try to tune things like press controversy out, but some people around me told me, ‘Hey... you might wanna look at this.’ And when I originally was approached with the script, I thought this [critique] might come up, I really did. And I'm thankful that it did, because actually, I agree with it. That's why I wanted to do it, so you would see someone of African descent playing Thoth, the father of mathematics, astronomy, the god of wisdom. And in the movie, I actually outnumber the other gods in the movie, literally and figuratively. It's hard for people to know that without seeing it. But yeah, people don't make $140 million movies starring black and brown people. [Shakes head.]"
Boseman will also get to put his stamp on one of the first black superheroes when he suits up as Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War next year, and you can see for yourselves what he brings to the role of Thoth when Gods Of Egypt hits theaters on February 26.