'The Dark Tower' may feature Idris Elba as the lead protagonist Roland Deschain. Fans responded with an online backlash for the potential casting since Deschain was reportedly created for a Caucasian. Author Stephen King reacted by saying Deschain's color did not matter.
According to The Guardian, Elba is in negotiations for a key role in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Stephen King's widely popular fantasy novels of the same name. He is reported to take on lead protagonist Roland Deschain, the last living descendant of a long line of gunslingers whose duty is to act as peacekeepers and diplomats in their society.
In the novels, Deschain is depicted to be immortal and his physical appearance borrowed largely from "The Man With No Name" in Sergio Leone's westerns. His goal is to find and climb the Dark Tower said to be the nexus of universes to right the wrongs in his world.
According to another article by Gamespot, Elba's Deschain will face off with Matthew McConaughey's villainous Man In Black. It was reported that McConaughey was first offered both protagonist and antagonist roles but eventually chose the latter.
Walter Padick, better known as the Man In Black, is one of Deschain's greatest nemesis in the books. He was introduced as a demonic sorcerer and serves as an envoy to the evil Crimson King. He also went by the name Randall Flag in 'The Eyes of the Dragon' where he acted as the main antagonist.
Author Stephen King seemed to have his own thoughts on Elba's casting as Deschain but did not share the sentiments of fans erupting in an online backlash over a man of color portraying a role made for a Caucasian. According to Comicbook.com, King took to Twitter on December 12 to say, "To me, the color of the gunslinger doesn't matter. What I care about is how fast he can draw...and that he takes care of the ka-tet."
'The Dark Tower' is an upcoming live-action adaptation of Stephen King's science-fiction fantasy novels of the same name. It is scheduled to be released on January 13, 2017. It will be co-written and directed by Nikolaj Arcel based on the screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinker and Anders Thomas Jensen.
