Somehow toxic fandom has returned and at the mere mention of Star Wars and women, no less. Nonsensical virulent misogynistic notions abound as Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and the director of the studiosâ upcoming Rey film Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy have found themselves in the crosshairs of troll pundits and anti-woke platformers over women playing in the Star Wars sandbox. Mind you, the sandbox wouldnât still be there if not for Kennedy.
Disney and Marvel Studiosâ recent handling (or throwing under the bus) of The Marvels director Nia DaCosta brings into question if the corporation is ready to step up and defend its marginalized talent against the onslaught of pundits and loudmouths, as any little thing sets them off. Most recently, as reported by the Wrap, right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro called Kennedy the âworst entertainment executive Iâve ever seen in my lifetimeââwhich is rich coming from the âfailed screenwriter,â as the internet properly called out.
Kathleen Kennedy: Indiana Jones, Poltergeist, ET, Gremlins, Back to the Future, The Goonies, Batteries Not Included, Who Framed Roger Rabbit Cape Fear, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Twister, Star Wars (and more)
Failed Screenwriter Ben Shapiro: Lady Ballers https://t.co/93Hl8uzvZl
— Joe Russo (@joerussotweets) January 3, 2024
All of this was incited by Obaid-Chinoyâs enthusiasm and excitement to be making a Star Wars film, really. A womanâs joy set off the dark side of the Star Wars fandom. âI like to make men uncomfortable,â the director told Jon Stewart at the Women in the World summit, to a round of applause. âI enjoy making men uncomfortable. It is important to be able to look into the eyes of a man and say âI am here and recognize that, recognize that I am working here to bring something that makes you uncomfortable and it should make you uncomfortable because you need to change your attitude… itâs only when youâre uncomfortable… when you have to have difficult conversations, that you will perhaps look at yourself in the mirror and not like the reflection. And then say maybe there is something wrong with the way I think or maybe thereâs something wrong with the way that I am addressing this issue.â
Toxic men refusing to read past the first part just proves her point. These same fans refuse to accept they might be whatâs wrong with Star Wars, or that theyâve also been made uncomfortable by recent Star Wars films made by male directors. In their eyes, those men get more of a professional pass because theyâre menâand yet the woman who helped bring us all Star Wars and a director who deserves to make a movie on her own merit get dragged. Thatâs pathetic and as the discourse continues to get amplified on X, the unchecked cesspool of internet commentary, itâs up to Disney to prove once again itâs more than the outed performative diversity allies and the company thatâs let down talent such as The Marvelsâ Nia DaCosta, as well as Star Warsâ Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, and others. Marginalized creatives deserve more protection when internet-spawned misogyny and racism swirls around their projectsâand Disney, a studio with all the resources to do so, should make more of an effort to bet on them in the future.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whatâs next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
