The Rings of Power has always felt like the answer to the fantasy genre’s overwhelming whiteness. But to no one’s surprise, the choice to populate the Lord of the Rings prequel series with diverse faces was as controversial then as it is now. The Rings of Power met the same backlash that nearly capsized franchises like Star Wars and Game of Thrones. They could have simply ignored it. Instead, the show’s cast and crew stood behind their actors of color instead of throwing them to the wolves.
“BIPOC belong in Middle-earth,” reads a 2022 statement from the Rings of Power cast, “and they are here to stay.”
