Zein Al Rafih, from Syrian refugee to Marvel superhero
Actor, who won acclaim for his role in ‘Capernaum’ rumoured to be joining ‘The Eternals’
Zein Al Rafih, the 15-year-old Syrian refugee who starred in the Oscar-nominated Lebanese film ‘Capernaum’ earlier this year, could soon be a Marvel superhero.
A photo posted by Salma Hayek on Instagram has created buzz, with many wondering if Al Rafih has joined the star-studded cast of ‘The Eternals’, an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics of the same name.
“Hanging with the Eternals’ youth,” Hayek captioned the photo, which showed her with Al Rafih and Lia McHugh, who also has a role in ‘The Eternals’.
Al Rafih was spotted by acclaimed Lebanese director Labaki at the age of 12 and was cast as the lead in ‘Capernaum’ despite having no previous acting experience. The film, about a young boy in a Beirut slum who sues his parents for giving birth to him, won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated in the 2019 Oscars Foreign Language Film category.
Al Rafih and his family have since resettled in Norway. No official confirmation of his role in ‘The Eternals’ has been made.
The superhero film, set to release in February next year, includes Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff and Don Lee. Chloe Zhao will direct the November 2020 release.