Movies News Talk
Naomi Ackie, star of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, opens up about her experience with the Star Wars franchise, specifically focusing on Star Wars racism and the negative influence of social media.
Ackie spoke out to THR to shed light on a reality experienced by many Star Wars actors! She spoke about how she received advice to remove her social media accounts before her involvement was officially confirmed. Ackie felt that she didn't want to give fuel to hateful online activity, and while her experience ended well, others, including John Boyega and Kelly Marie-Tran have unfortunately faced serious Star Wars harassment.
This unfortunate reality, in the Star Wars fandom, brings awareness to how Star Wars actors, specifically Star Wars actors of color, face extreme abuse from Star Wars fans and detractors on Star Wars social media. While Disney attempts to push for Star Wars diversity and inclusion, Star Wars backlash can be immense! Sadly, this impacts the experience of the very actors meant to showcase how diverse the franchise can be.
Unfortunately, Ackie isn't alone. Fans are still very concerned about issues impacting Star Wars casting. This also includes Moses Ingram and Amandla Stenberg. Moses Ingram racism was severe after her role in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Amandla Stenberg racism was another situation with a Star Wars sequel trilogy. This highlights that these attacks are a growing issue and how much they influence the experience of Star Wars actors.
There is concern that Star Wars reputation could be negatively impacted because of online vitriol. While the production company tried to counter negative comments with the words of Ewan McGregor in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it is unlikely to solve a major issue within Star Wars community.
There are huge efforts by Disney to keep fans engaged with new Star Wars Movies, including those on Star Wars release dates. But these situations may be a distraction! It is unclear if the Star Wars future can continue in a healthy way with fans as the Star Wars fandom still struggles with Star Wars controversy, as well as a perceived lack of progress from the company when addressing toxic behavior.
While there's no way to completely prevent social media backlash, it remains an ongoing topic and should be discussed. With so much hype surrounding the Star Wars Movies and Star Wars TV series, these controversies will probably surface over time. There is plenty of activity for Star Wars news that should provide valuable insights and analysis from fans and critics on these sensitive issues.