Kathleen Kennedy Says “A Lot of Women” Struggle in ‘Star Wars’
The Star Wars fanbase is notoriously hard to please. Since at least the release of The Phantom Menace in 1999, the newest Star Wars release has been met with a loud minority of fans who have a list of complaints.
While some of these complaints are stooped in lore or aimed at the stories themselves, a small segment of fans have taken things too far.
![Rey Skywalker](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-11-at-11-21-08-Daisy-Ridley-to-Reprise-Role-as-Rey-in-New-‘Star-Wars-Film.png)
![Rey Skywalker](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-11-at-11-21-08-Daisy-Ridley-to-Reprise-Role-as-Rey-in-New-‘Star-Wars-Film.png)
Photo: Lucasfilm
As Lucasfilm prepares for the release of the Disney+ series The Acolyte, Kathleen Kennedy sat down with the New York Times to discuss the fan base’s often fickle nature.
Discussing the criticism that stars such as Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran faced following the release of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Kennedy asserted that the franchise’s female stars face a tougher road “because of the fan base being so male-dominated.”
![Kelly Maire Tran, Rose Tico](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/the-last-jedi-rose-tico-kelly-marie-tran-1200x600-1024x512.jpg)
![Kelly Maire Tran, Rose Tico](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/the-last-jedi-rose-tico-kelly-marie-tran-1200x600-1024x512.jpg)
Image: Lucasfilm
“Operating within these giant franchises now, with social media and the level of expectation — it’s terrifying,” Kennedy continued. “I think Leslye has struggled a little bit with it. I think a lot of the women who step into ‘Star Wars’ struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male-dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal.”
Enter ‘The Acolyte’
The Acolyte was created by Leslye Headland, who initially pitched the concept to Lucasfilm years ago.
Headland, who is perhaps best known as the co-creator of the Netflix series Russian Doll, is a longtime Star Wars fan herself. As such, she understands the fandom’s frustration and its darker side.
![Lesley Headland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/leslye-headland-file-gty-jef-190909_hpMain_16x9_1600-1024x576.jpg)
![Lesley Headland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/leslye-headland-file-gty-jef-190909_hpMain_16x9_1600-1024x576.jpg)
Image: Getty
“As a fan myself, I know how frustrating some ‘Star Wars’ storytelling in the past has been. I’ve felt it myself,” she said. “I stand by my empathy for ‘Star Wars’ fans. But I want to be clear. Anyone who engages in bigotry, racism or hate speech … I don’t consider a fan.”
What Is a “Fan?”
Diving into the specific problems with the Star Wars fanbase is largely an exercise in futility.
![Hayden Christensen Vader](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Christensen-Vader-1024x688.jpg)
![Hayden Christensen Vader](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Christensen-Vader-1024x688.jpg)
Photo: Lucasfilm
On one hand, the vast majority of fans are supportive of the franchise. Additionally, as Headland said, there is a large segment of the fandom that has legitimate criticisms of recent Star Wars stories, particularly when it comes to the disjointed nature of the sequel trilogy.
But there is also clearly a dark side. A small, loud section of fans drove Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran off social media and harassed Moses Ingram.
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/reva-kenobi-1024x426.jpeg)
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/reva-kenobi-1024x426.jpeg)
Source: Lucasfilm
In her observations, Kennedy is correct in one sense- criticism aimed at women in Star Wars often seems more personal. At the same time, however, she also misses the bigger picture. The Star Wars fandom has had a problematic segment long before the arrival of Rey Skywalker or Rose Tico. This was the same group of people who bullied 10-year-old Jake Lloyd when The Phantom Menace was released and drove Ahmed Best to consider suicide.
![Ahmed Best Jar Jar Binks](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ahmed-best-759.jpg)
![Ahmed Best Jar Jar Binks](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ahmed-best-759.jpg)
Photo: Lucasfilm
In the end, Headland said it best, there is a difference between fans with legitimate gripes and those who go out of their way to bully and harass. Those are not fans, and Star Wars would be better off without them.
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