Black Actors and Sci-Fi

Representation in film and television is a battle that we, as black, people have been fighting for several years. The fight initially started to simply be allowed the opportunity to compete and perform on both big and small screens. This soon evolved into the need for diverse roles. Always seeing ourselves as being in powerless positions on screen isn't what the fight was for. Having an eclectic group of characters that people of every age can see black actors portraying is an important aspect of culture and entertainment.

Zendaya in Dune

This brings us to a much-needed conversation about black actors in science fiction television shows and movies. Most of us who are fans of the Star Wars Saga can remember seeing Samuel L. Jackson as a black Jedi in star wars and how amazing it was to see a black actor in that type of cinematic universe with a powerful role. With the success of Black Panther, there is no question that there is a lot of money in the science fiction space for black lead actors.

Sonequa Martin-Green in Star Trek Discover

In recent years we've seen some roles that would've been reserved for white actors. From Sonequa Martin-Green in Star Trek Discovery to John David Washington in Tenet, the future of black actors in science fiction looks very bright. With the recent trailer for the highly anticipated film Dune featuring Zendaya and Jamie Foxx's Netflix movie Project Power, it's apparent that some studios see the value in black actors in science fiction. We hope this trend quickly becomes the norm!