A racist backlash has hit The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continuously over the casting of the show like a Black Puerto Rican Ismael Cruz Córdova as an elf, Sophia Nomvete as a dwarf, and Morfydd Clark as not “feminine” enough because her character wears an armor. Those who claim to be “die-hard” fans of Tolkien’s work throws harsh words on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast as they feel that the actors playing the roles coming from the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) do not fit into the narrative. On Twitter, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast members released a collective statement disagreeing with the backlash, “We, the cast of Rings of Power stand in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse of some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis.”
In a strong line, the cast said, “We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it. JRR Tolkien created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free people from different races and cultures join together, in fellowship, to defeat the forces of evil. Rings of Power reflects that.” The cast ends their statement strong, standing their ground, “Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white. BIPOC belong in Middle-earth and they are here to stay.”
READ MORE: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: What is Valinor Explained
Various actors who previously appeared on The Lord of the Rings trilogy of Peter Jackson voiced their support to the cast of Rings of Power which advocated inclusivity. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan have already spoken up regarding the issue.
