Why It Makes Sense That There Are Black Actors In “The Rings of Power”

By now, people have already seen the finale of The Lord of the Rings prequel spin-off series The Rings of Power. Furthermore, people have already aired their grievances about the casting of black actors as hobbits, elves, and dwarves. 

Of course, this all comes with vitriolic anger across the internet. Many fans have grown upset about the creators’ choice to include black actors. Obviously, this seems like a child’s response after they didn’t get the toy that they wanted for Christmas. Of course, it seems that these criticisms are of no merit or worth. 

With that being said, here is why it makes sense for black actors to be included in the series. 

Evolution From A Thousand Years Prior

Like many things, like animals and people, they always evolve. When the first humans walked the Earth, they originated from Africa and were all black. As time went on, people migrated to other lands and evolved to have lighter skin and other different features that suited the environment they surrounded themselves with. 

Since this tv series takes place 1,000 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, it makes sense that many of the characters may have had darker skin and more African features and as the story progressed they would become lighter-skinned by the events of The Lord of the Rings. With all of the interbreeding, the hobbits, dwarves, and elves got lighter over time. If people knew the history of how humans evolved and where they came from, the incessant complaining from conservatives would evaporate quicker than boiling water.

It Still Shows Progressivism

Despite all of the drama and toxic trolling, the use of black actors shows some progress in media and society. Of course, it’s really not that big of a deal because good actors are good actors and it really doesn’t matter what the skin color is. The idea of representation is incredibly satisfying for minorities that want to see honest change. 

Realizing that the racial identity in the story isn’t that big of a deal will give audiences a less toxic look at the fandom. People need to stop cutting art down to who is involved and who the actor is because it says more about the fans than it will ever say about the art itself. Art is subjective and who are we to truly judge?