Netflix’s ‘Messiah’ canceled after Muslims complain

Critics believe the main character sub-textually refers to Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, an Antichrist demonic figure in Islamic eschatology.

By Aaron Sull, World Israel News

Netflix canceled its “Messiah” series on March 26 after backlash from activists suggesting the show was sending anti-Islam “subtextual messages,” reported Deadline.

In “Messiah,” CIA agent Eva Geller investigates Al-Masih, a Middle Eastern preacher, whose followers claim he is the Second Coming.

According to the report, the popular series faced backlash because al-Masih subtextually refers to Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, an Antichrist demonic figure in Islamic eschatology, whose name translates to “the false messiah, liar, the deceiver.”

Wil Traval, who played Dr. Jack Quade in “Messiah,” expressed his disappointment on Instagram.

“It’s a very sad day today,’ he wrote on Instagram. ‘I have just received news from Netflix that there will be no season two of Messiah,” Traval wrote on Thursday. “I wanted to say thank you to all the fans thank you for your support and love. I wish things were different.”

Despite much of the series being filmed in Jordan, the Kingdom’s Royal Film Commission (RFC) asked Netflix to ban the series from being streamed in its country prior to its debut in January 2018.

“The story is purely fictional and so are the characters, yet the RFC deems that the content of the series could be largely perceived or interpreted as infringing on the sanctity of religion,” an RFC statement said at the time.

Netflix refused the request and responded at the time by saying, “Messiah is a work of fiction. It is not based on any one character, figure or religion. All Netflix shows feature ratings and information to help members make their own decisions about what’s right for them and their families.”