THE RACIALLY AMBIGUOUS DUO!!
These brothas are different from light skin black men of the past. In some instances they are seen as white or at least not considered black. Back in the day we used to call that passing. When I was a kid, I read stories about people of color passing for another ethnicities, usually white, but I never really saw too many instances of it. Jennifer Beals caused a bit of a stir back in the 80s when Flash Dance came out but she's never really been considered a black actor. Vin Deisel and Dwayne Johnson on the other hand can cross over and cross back without an issue.
Put them in a predominately white cast flick...they're white.
Put them in a predominately black cast flick...they're black.
Remember Saving Private Ryan? Vin Diesel's half black ass was in that. He plays a character named Carparzo, He was supposed to be Italian.
THE ERA OF THE DARK SKINNED BROTHERS IS OVER!
Johnson is half black and half samoan two groups of color yet he almost ALWAYS plays white in films. Same with Diesel...
We haven't "claimed" them and they haven't made too big a issue to portray black characters.
Hercules is a European albeit Mediterranean character and a black man is playing him and there wasn't much if any issue with it across the board from blacks or cacs..
Idris Elba played a norse god and cacs lost their minds...
Dwayne Johnson plays a greek demigod and cacs are like.. meh...