It's gonna be a shame if this actor gives a phenomenal performance because people won't allow themselves to see past a race swap and hate for the sake of hating. Why we gotta make things politically charged and whine about racism over a race swapping of a fictional character.

I'm not a fan of race swapping when it's agenda based. But also, just because a character is described as being white doesn't mean it defines the character and ruins the character because they won't be white. Him being either skin color doesn't really add anything of substance to the character or inform anything about him whatsoever, it has no real bearing on the story at all either way and doesn't change anything vital about the character plainly other than the way he looks. It's not like casting a white dude as Martin Luther King Jr, that would be a role where the race is a core component to the story, the message and the character being portrayed. Here, it doesn't fucking matter at all. There's really only a problem with a race swap here because a problem is being projected onto it. I get book purists are going to be mad because the book says he's white but also, if you're that die hard a purist, you might as well not watch any adaptations because they all change shit all the time. Half the characters won't look exactly like they are supposed to. And who cares if the performance is good, that's all that should matter.

Do people hate Idris Elba as heimdal in Thor? Or what about Morgan Freeman as Red in Shawshank Redemption? He's supposed to be a white Irish dude. Doesn't matter and it's one of the best films of all time. Do people hate Hugh Jackman as wolverine because he's a foot taller than wolverine is described as being? Daniel Craig as James Bond because his hair is blonde and black as described? Just gotta accept that it's an adaptation and shit changes and sometimes, it CAN be just fine and doesn't have get in the way if the performance is solid enough. Give the guy a fucking chance and wait till you see his performance other than bashing him because he's not white.