Disney+ Genius Season 4 Will Focus on Civil Rights Icons MLK Jr. and Malcolm X

By Rebecca Theodore-Vachon 

Disney+ and National Geographic revealed the fourth installment of their critically acclaimed series Genius would focus on the lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Titled MLK/X, this installment will focus on not one, but two iconic geniuses. It’s a first for the franchise.

The Genius anthology series focuses on untold stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators. Premiering in 2017 on National Geographic, the first season, which earned 10 Emmy nominations including Outstanding Limited Series, starred Geoffrey Rush as scientist Albert Einstein. Season 2 followed the life of Picasso with Antonio Banderas playing the titular artist, and Season 3 focused on soul singer Aretha Franklin (played by Cynthia Erivo).

The fourth season will focus on the formative years, accomplishments and dueling philosophies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Both King and X were crucial to the advancement of Black Americans during the height of the Civil Rights movement.

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Raphael Jackson Jr. and Damione Macedon serve as co-showrunners. Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood are executive producers, along with returning executive producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Television.

“Malcolm and Martin are staggering icons, and we have been eager to explore the genius of these two very real men in a way that has not yet been seen,” the Bythewoods said in a statement. “We are excited to team up with Imagine Entertainment and 20th Television to reflect their amazing lives and contributions to civil rights and the urgency of today.”

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