Disney rumored to whitewash live-action ‘Aladdin’ with Tom Hardy as Jafar

Disney appears to be headed towards another whitewashing debacle, not learning from disasters such as Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, Pan, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Last Airbender, or Doctor Strange –  with rumors that the live-action Aladdin may feature Tom Hardy as Jafar.

Sources told The Sun that director Guy Ritchie is eyeing Hardy, a white Anglo-Irish actor, to play Jafar, a character of Arab descent: “Guy is a huge fan of Tom’s work and securing him would be a major coup. There have been conversations and, although nothing is set in stone and things are subject to change, he’s certainly one of Guy’s favoured choices. It just depends on schedules whether he’ll be able to sign up.”

Slash Film noted that “While this is only a rumor and should be treated as such, this is not a good look for the adaptation of Aladdin, which takes place in the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah. Aladdin has already been the object of intense scrutiny when it comes to the diversity debate, with the original film itself presenting a stereotypical, borderline racist depiction of the Middle East.”

Hardy became a big name star after playing the villain Bane in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises and starring in George Miller’s Mad Max reboot, Mad Max Fury Road. He will team up with Nolan again in this summer’s Dunkirk, starring on Nolan’s Inception previously, and was recently cast for the Spider-Man spin-off Venom.

Will Smith has been rumored to be under consideration for the role of Genie.

The live-action Aladdin does not have a concrete release date yet.

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