Elon Musk went after Christopher Nolan laborious on X this week. The Tesla CEO stated the legendary director “lost his integrity” over casting decisions in The Odyssey.

The drama began when Musk noticed Oscar-winning Lupita Nyong’o solid as Helen of Troy. Travis Scott additionally makes his performing debut within the movie. The rapper’s first film function was revealed in new footage that dropped throughout NFL protection.

Musk jumped on a person’s publish complaining concerning the casting. The person argued Helen of Troy needs to be performed by a fair-skinned, blonde actress.

Musk co-signed together with his “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity” remark.

But right here’s the place Musk’s outrage will get fascinating. Hollywood has an extended historical past of casting white actors as characters who needs to be Black or brown.

And Musk by no means appeared bothered by that sample, particularly as Fox prepares to launch “The Faithfull,” which is crammed with white of us enjoying biblical characters.

Take Exodus: Gods and Kings. Christian Bale performed Moses, a Middle Eastern determine. Angelina Jolie wore darker make-up to play Afro-Cuban journalist Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart.

The record goes on and on. Jake Gyllenhaal because the Prince of Persia. Emma Stone as part-Asian Allison Ng in Aloha. Scarlett Johansson in Ghost within the Shell, enjoying a Japanese character.

Hollywood turned Egyptian queen Cleopatra into Elizabeth Taylor. They made Chinese farmers into Paul Muni and Luise Rainer in The Good Earth. Mickey Rooney wore yellowface as Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Johnny Depp as Tonto. Laurence Olivier in blackface as Othello.

Where is Musk’s integrity speech over these motion pictures? His silence on many years of whitewashing speaks volumes. But when one Black actress is solid as a mythological character, instantly he’s the casting police.

The Odyssey isn’t even based mostly on actual folks. It’s Homer’s historic Greek fantasy about gods and monsters. There’s no historic Helen of Troy to get “wrong.”

Nolan can solid whoever brings the story to life. Travis Scott’s involvement provides one other layer to this mess. The Houston rapper seems in battle scenes, in response to early footage. His casting exhibits Nolan pondering outdoors conventional Hollywood packing containers.

The movie options Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron. Universal Pictures is backing the summer season 2026 launch.

Musk’s double normal reveals one thing ugly about his worldview. He stays quiet when white actors take roles from folks of shade. But he assaults a director’s “integrity” when the reverse occurs.

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