Note: This article contains spoilers for HBO's Watchmen.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has shared his response to trolls who have accused HBO's Watchmen of being too political.
For those who've read Alan Moore's original graphic novel (or seen Zack Snyder's 2009 movie), you'll know this subverted superhero narrative takes a look at the dark political climate of its setting, so it's a tad confusing that this has now become a criticism of HBO's adaptation.
Related: Watchmen says something new about race, trauma, and the exploitation of Black bodies on screen
Just like co-star Regina King before him, Cal Abar/Dr Manhattan actor Yahya recently spoke to Digital Spy about some of the backlash the show has received, with some viewers saying it's "too woke".
"My message is… I always like to focus on the positives. I like to focus on the people who are into it, who are enjoying the show, who are coming to this material for the first time with fresh eyes," he noted.
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"There's a whole new demographic that are following Regina King to this show and being exposed and are watching it for the first time, and who are going back to seeing themselves now – or who are able to now see themselves in the graphic novel, who are now able to see themselves in this work."
He continued: "And that's really important. That's my most important takeaway. We're all bringing something new, and we're respecting the canon.
"We're not changing the canon. When Watchmen was made, it was a reflection of the world. It was a reflection of the times. It's only right that our Watchmen should be as well."
For her part, Regina King questioned why those 'fans' who argued the show is too political really felt so uncomfortable while watching the programme.
"I won't be satisfied with an answer that says, 'I don't like it because it wasn't anything like the graphic novel'. That wasn't the intention," she told us.
"I need you to dig a little deeper to tell me what it was that made you feel uncomfortable. I feel that that's very fair... Now, tell me why you feel uncomfortable?"
All episodes of Watchmen are available on Sky Catch Up and NOWTV
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
