Legendary actor Denzel Washington is reportedly all set to star in a historical biopic Hannibal, a Carthaginian warrior who attacked Rome. The historical epic is reportedly directed by Antoine Fuqua, who reunites with his Training Day and Equalizer actor, and is set to be a Netflix release.
However, fans widely criticized the announcement, especially due to the casting of Washington in the role. Fans claim that the casting was another instance of race-bending white characters to appeal to a certain section of the audience.
Denzel Washington Stars In A New Historical Biopic
With the SAG-AFTRA strike finally being lifted, new film announcements with prominent stars have been making the rounds. Legendary star Denzel Washington is reportedly set to star in a historical biopic centered around the Second Punic War, playing the role of the Carthaginian general Hannibal.
Hannibal is said to have attacked Rome while riding atop an elephant. He was reportedly a great threat to the Roman Republic as he attacked from the North. His attacks on Spain and Italian allies of the Roman Republic were widely considered to be the start of the Second Punic War. Hannibal was one of the biggest threats to the Roman Empire, which was led by Fabius Maximus, as he conquered their allies for fifteen years.
The noted general lost in the Battle of Zama and was then exiled to different kingdoms. He worked as a military advisor to different kingdoms in their war against Rome but was finally caught by the Empire, leading him to die by s*icide after consuming poison. Hannibal is known to be one of the greatest military tacticians in the world.
According to Deadline, Denzel Washington is all set to star in the film that is directed by Antoine Fuqua. The director reunites with Washington after the most recent action film The Equalizer 3. The duo have previously worked on Training Day, which gave Denzel Washington his second Oscar Award. The film is a Netflix release and is written by Gladiator writer John Logan.
Fans Criticize Denzel Washington For Race-Bending
While the prospect of Denzel Washington in a historical epic is a cause for excitement, the announcement was not met with enthusiasm from fans. The Carthaginian general Hannibal was historically Phoenician and the casting of Washington in the film has fans claiming that it is another instance of Hollywood race-bending White characters.
Previous instances where this happened were when actress Noma Dumezwini was cast as Hermoine Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The character, played by Emma Watson in the films, was not a Black person in the books, and Dumezwini’s casting was met with backlash from fans.
A more recent backlash was when Leah Sava Jeffries was cast as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney Plus series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Since Chase is not a Black character in the books, fans criticized Jeffries’ casting for the series. Author Rick Riordan pushed back against the backlash, defending the casting choice.
With the new Denzel Washington film being a part of history as opposed to fiction, fans seem to be tired of Hollywood’s practice of changing the race of historical characters.
These people hate history.
— Dustin (@DustinofApollon) November 13, 2023
Hannibal wasn’t black tho
— Brandon D. Washington (@ghostzapperfan) November 13, 2023
Afrocentrism demands that everyone be made black. Whites and North Africans are not allowed to have their own history and heritage.
— Napoleon Bonaparte Appreciator (@NapoleonBonabot) November 13, 2023
Can’t wait for the Netflix Julius Ceaser film staring Will Smith.
— Gabriel Mican (@youwishmusic) November 13, 2023
But Hannibal wasn’t “black”.
— Juan (@JuanIsidro) November 13, 2023
African didn’t even refer to subsahariana region back then.
Oh boy… more history alteration.
🥶🥶🥶 pic.twitter.com/7zwLMFvk0K
Tyler Perry in: Winston Churchill
— TeamEvilLeft (@TeamEvilLeft) November 13, 2023
Washington will also star in Ridley Scott’s historical epic Gladiator 2 and has starred as Macbeth in Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth.
