When It Comes to Positive Muslim Rep, Where Are The Good Guys?

 

[Image: actors Ennis Esmer, and Marwan Kenzari]

When It Comes to Positive Muslim Rep, Where Are The Good Guys?

It would be good to focus on some positive Muslim character rep for a change.

The two examples I've picked aren't from superhero media per se, but I'd call them superhero adjacent. Safe to say if you enjoy superhero content, you'll probably enjoy these recs.

Let's dive in.

(Minor spoilers ahead.)

Example 1. The Old Guard (movie, Netflix)

The Old Guard is a 2020 Netflix movie starring Charlize Theron in the lead role, based on the graphic novel written by Greg Rucka. 

So it is a comic book movie, and you could call it a superhero movie as the main characters have a superpower and they do superhero-ing. The story is grounded more in reality, mercenaries trying to do good, if you like that kind of theme.

[Above image: The Old Guard l-t-r: Joe, Booker, Andy, Nicky, Nile]

[Below image: Marwan Kenzari as Joe]

The characters of Joe (Marwan Kenzari, Tunisian-Dutch, Arabic speaking actor, also played Hot Jafar in Disney's live action Aladdin) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli, Italian actor) are from Byzantium times when they were Muslim and Christian soldiers respectively, on opposing sides of war. 

They met during that war, and they became an out and openly loving queer couple.

[Image: Joe and Nicky]

The movie shows Joe and Nicky as an established couple, which makes a nice change in media to see a happy couple work together. 

Onscreen we see Joe and Nicky show caring yet casual affection to each other frequently; one of the movie's highlights to me.

Yes, there is an onscreen m/m kiss. RARE in any comic book movie/superhero content, so the movie gets bonus points for that.

[Image: The good guys l-t-r: Nile, Nicky, Andy, Joe]

I suppose my one complaint is that they're not in the movie that much, but they are background characters. The movie focuses more on the two women characters (Andy, and Nile). 

It's directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, so do check it out.

The Old Guard is a great example of how easy it is to cast a MENA actor into the part of a MENA and Muslim character who isn't a baddie, or a terrorist, or another tired trope, but shows Joe as a good guy and a well rounded character with important lines to say. 

(And he doesn't die, yay!)

Also, bonus points for a queer Muslim character. We need more of those.

Watch a trailer for The Old Guard here.

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Example 2: Blindspot (series, NBC/WB, The CW)

Blindspot is a TV show (2015-current) from American TV network NBC, affiliated with Warner Bros. and The CW producers 

(The CW is the same network who makes a lot of the DC superhero content that fans call The Arrowverse, and so far the only superhero content from The Big Two that portrays any LGBT characters on a regular basis.)

Blindspot is a spooks/gov agents/FBI procedural show, but with a Sci-Fi twist of magical glowing tattoos that hold clues to mysteries the team has to solve to stop Bad Guys. 

Like CSI meets Bond, plus it's very easy to dip in and out of and simply enjoy the banter and the action.

I'm calling it superhero adjacent because it definitely lives more in the world of Sci-Fi than reality (I mentioned glowing tattoos, right?) Like a James Bond theme but with a woman lead. (Jamie Alexander, also plays Lady Sif in the MCU.)

Anyway, one of the supporting cast is a queer Turkish character, Rich DotCom, who is played by a Turkish-Canadian actor, Ennis Esmer. 

He is a bit part/recurring character in seasons 1 to 3, then becoming a regular from season 4 on. 

[Image: Ennis Esmer as Rich DotCom]

My first quibble is, I'm pretty sure we have another straight actor playing a queer character, BUT at least the show managed to cast a Turkish actor to play a Turkish character. (Heavy side eye at Disney right now: see, it isn't that hard.)

While Rich Dot Com does play into the stereotype of Muslim/MENA character who is a hacker, I can say he is well rounded as a character, especially as the seasons go on. 

He starts off as a criminal (a very light hearted, quippy criminal who fleeces rich white people online, so I don't really mind that aspect much) and later works for the FBI. Many of the characters including the lead (Jamie Alexander) have a good guy/bad guy grey area that's explored, so at least it's not just the Muslim character.

Showing a Turkish character onscreen as one of the good guys, being funny and likeable (he is SO likeable) with a lot of screen time (one bonus of TV shows to movies is all the screen time afford to supporting characters) is really great.

[Image: Rich and Kurt undercover at a party]

Not to mention his character is queer, and there is a recurring on/off boyfriend character (Boston) who he has interaction with. 

Last time I watched the show, the pair had a tender moment when Boston found out that Rich had bought his art pieces. That was a great episode.

[Image: Rich and Patterson, lab tech buddies]

I really appreciate seeing a character like this onscreen on a regular basis. I do like the show, it's fun and cheesy procedural stuff. If you like spies and action, give it a watch. (Also, Bill Nye guest stars!)

I'm aware the final season (final? Really?) has been confirmed and is yet to air, but with talks about Rich and his partner-in-lab-banter, Patterson, having a spin off show, I remain hopeful that Rich won't be killed off. Don't let me down, Blindspot!

(Honestly, if you wanted to just jump into the show on any season, that's easy enough to do. That's what I did whenever it was playing on the TV channel. Procedurals allow for easy viewing, IMO.) 

Blindspot season 1 opening credits.

Ennis Esmer interview (2016)

And just a P.S. with Ennis Esmer, he also has a recurring role on team good guy in Canadian show Private Eyes, a similar fun romp if you like mystery shows.

~*~

I'm not saying the examples of Rich from Blindspot or Joe from The Old Guard are perfect, there's always room for improvement (like, can we cast queer actors to play queer roles, please?) but they're certainly a lot better than the rest of superhero media has provided. 

(I broke down the poor quality of Muslim rep in Amazon's The Boys, the MCU, and DC movies here.)

Blindspot and The Old Guard have achieved better representation for Muslim characters onscreen in the past couple years than the MCU and DC have put together over the past decade. 

And it's odd how Warner Bros(DC) has better rep all round in its affiliated TV shows but NOT its movies. Hopefully The Old Guard will prove that diverse characters AND diverse casting in superhero movies IS possible, and more studios will follow that good example.

The sad fact is, it's not that hard to write in more diverse characters and then hire a diverse cast to any media. Doing so does not impact quality either, it only enriches it.

I'd like to see more good rep on my screen NOW.

No more cardboard cut-out baddies for Muslim characters (hard side eye at Wonder Woman 1984 right now), let's have some good characters.

~*~

Have you any recs for positive Muslim rep in superhero media? Come tell me.

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