But Two Of Them Look Identical And They Are Not Twins - Tumblr Posts

This is absolutely a thing. I think most of it ties into so few black actors making the ‘racistly acceptable’ list of Hollywood fame. Is that a term? I think I’ll take this as a reminder when writing too.

I also think a small, tiny, minuscule portion comes from the fact that all the corn fed white boys look the same so Hollywood’s been low key training our suspension of disbelief that it makes more sense that everyone looks the same and can only be told apart by their specifically chosen wardrobe. Now, I’m not saying that all white people look the same. I’m just saying Hollywood’s done an excellent job at finding the ones that do. Not near as good as the CW, of course, but I’m pretty sure someone sold their soul for that. 

Allies in fandom need to know not all black people are the same. 

They fancast John Boyega to be Miles Morales when Miles is 17 and John is pushing thirty. Miles has thin muscles while John is pretty buff. And Miles is Puerto Rican while John is Nigerian. The new Spider-Man: Miles Morales game heavily emphasizes Miles’s Latinx heritage. 

They fancast Zendaya Coleman to be Riri Williams when Riri is modeled by Skai Jackson: dark skin, wide nose, really short (she’s canonically 5′3) with two dark-skin black parents. When Zendaya is light-skinned, tall (5′10), mixed-raced with a white mother. Plus Zendaya is already playing MJ. 

Being part of an ally is knowing being the same race does not everyone is exactly the same. Black people have different appearances and cultures. 

So no. Not any black actor can play a black character.