The Star Wars franchise has had a powerful resurgence, as Disney took control of Lucasfilm and began producing both main installments and standalone films. But since Star Wars has so much iconography and a long tenure in the theaters, the franchise is very personal to the fandom. And when Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrived this past December, some Star Wars fans flipped their lid. They took umbrage with Rian Johnson's subversive sequel, and his drastic changes to the canon. Aside from Johnson, the target of the most hate was Kelly Marie Tran, who played newcomer Rose Tico. Everything from her performance, her race, and her appearance were criticized, with Tran leaving social media in response to online harassment. Plenty of her co-stars have come to the actress' defense, and now Domhnall Gleeson aka General Hux, has gotten blunt about the situation, saying:
People having an opinion about the film is absolutely fine. You pay your money, and you're allowed to have an opinion. The stuff with Kelly was bullshit. That's a different thing altogether, so those people are just morons. Those people are just assholes. It's a different level of stuff. You don't buy that when you buy your tickets. I thought the piece she wrote was amazing and I've got huge respect for her. I thought she dealt with it as classily as an unclassy situation can call for.
Well, he certainly didn't hold back. Like fellow Star Wars icons Mark Hamill, John Boyega, and Rian Johnson, it seems that Kelly Marie Tran's online harassment has struck a chord with Domhnall Gleeson. And while Hux may not be on Rose's ride within the galaxy far, far away, that's not the case IRL.
Domhnall Gleeson's comments to HeyUGuys echo the thoughts of the rest of the Star Wars cast and crew, and seem to highlight a problem within the moviegoing community. Fan passion is what drives franchises like Star Wars, and Gleeson seems eager to hear any constructive criticism for the current trilogy. But when the response becomes an attack, there's a line crossed.
The Last Jedi had plenty of moments that fans have taken umbrage with, as Rian Johnson tried to purposefully twist and turn the story in unexpected ways. Rose Tico enters in the film's first act, when she's mourning her sister. Her story mostly focuses on the Canto Bight sequence, which is one most criticized scenes of the movie. But the attacks on Kelly Marie Tran weren't just about her character, but the actress herself-- especially her race and appearance.
Kelly Marie Tran and Domhnall Gleeson will both return to the Star Wars franchise when J.J. Abrams' untitled Episode IX arrives in theaters on December 20th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
