Credit: National GeographicPart of NatGeo’s Genius anthology, MLK/X, is a dramatic limited series that shows the opposing methods, beliefs, and practices of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during the zenith of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.
Disney+ has a boatload of new releases for subscribers this year, and February is already packed to the gills with new episodes, movies, documentaries, and other forms of magical content. However, MLK/X, a series inspired by the lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. is certainly not something most expected from the House of Mouse.
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Although the pair notoriously disagreed regarding demonstration methods, the two had the same vision for the rights of their people. Disney+ has hosted controversial films and figures before, and the NatGeo series is bound to turn a few heads.
MLK/X: Disney and NatGeo Bring History to life
In the series’ official description, National Geographic shares,
“GENIUS: MLK/X follows both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) and Malcom X (Aaron Pierre) from their formative years, where they were molded by strong fathers and traumatic injustices, to their rich, parallel stories as they shaped their identities and became the change they wished to see in the world. The docudrama series offers an intimate look into their complex lives as husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, taking them off the iconic T-shirts to show their humanity…”
The limited series stars Kelvin Harrison, Jr. and Aaron Pierre in the title roles, and (per the description) sets out to paint a more accurate and less sensationalized picture of the two historical figures.
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The series doesn’t launch until February 1, 2024, but its content and subject matter will undoubtedly be met with a very vocal reception. In the wake of the “woke” and “anti-woke” movements, it’s safe to assume that the reaction to the upcoming series on a platform like Disney+ will cause some serious division.
That said, it also feels highly appropriate that a series about these two figures should materialize in the time that it has. Many would agree that people are as divided now as they were back in the early ’60s, and that it’s somewhat poetic to be reminded of this chapter of history.
Will you be watching MLK/X? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!