Atandwa Kani said what he said. The renowned actor, now based in New York, US, took to Twitter and let out his feelings about South Africa’s quality of acting.
Atandwa Kani on SA acting: ‘It’s a shame!’
This, we believe, was unprovoked. Alas, Kani targeted the current landscape of Mzansi’s film and TV. He singled out the acting community as “a bunch of chancers.”
“South Africa has run out of actors. It’s a shame! You’re making celebrities out of chancers, GTFOH!” he exclaimed in a tweet.
This sentiment was felt by the actor’s supporters, some of whom claimed that the talent is still there, but it is stifled by the demand for social media currency.
“There [are] a lot of upraising actors and actresses that want a chance to break into the industry and reach their dreams but they are not given that opportunity because they are new faces it’s a shameful thing to go through,” one user replied to his tweet.
Another opposed Kani and stated that great South African talent still exists. Sadly, most of them are not based in Mzansi.
Will Kani become the next Black Panther?
The 34-year-old son of veteran actor John Kani has kept a low profile since his involvement in Marvel’s The Black Panther.
In the franchise, he played the younger version of his father’s role, King T’Chaka, and in the movie, the death of his character saw the ascension of T’Challa to the throne of the fictional African super city, Wakanda.
The role for T’Challa is now vacant, following the death of Chadwick Boseman to colon cancer. Fans of the comic character have tossed his name in the hat as the next to fill Boseman’s shoes.
South African actor and politician Fana Mokoena is the first to have fielded Kani as the appropriate choice.
“I honestly think Marvel Studios would do well to consider Atandwa Kani as the next Black Panther. It’s about time an African from Africa played a superhero,” he tweeted.
While this suggestion speaks sensibly to our emotional attachment to everything the Black Panther represents, it would be hard to pull off. This is for the simple fact that Kani already featured on the origin story as the younger King T’Chaka. He died and T’Challa became king.
Marvel has yet to make announcements about the replacement but it is highly unlikely that Kani will get the role.
