There have been a lot comments on the decision to cast Idris Elba as “The Gunslinger” in Nikolaj Arcel’s upcoming adaption of The Dark Tower. I’ve heard both positive and negative remarks. Some have an issues with the choice because the actor and the character (in the book) are different races. It’s true, Roland (The Gunslinger) is Caucasian in the books, but should that dictate who is cast in the film?
Stephen King spoke out via Twitter on the decision. King created the character, so I think his verdict should be important and of course, King makes a great point.
Elba is a talented actor. Personally I believe he’ll do a great job. Elba has appeared in a large array of films and genres, always leaving me impressed by his performances. Not only did he star in Prometheus, he also had roles in Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Unborn, and many other films and shows. He’ll be Playing Roland Deshain, a gunslinger on a life long mission to locate The Dark Tower, the center of the universe, before evil destroys the tower, wiping out the world. The film is set to premiere in theaters on January 13, 2017.
