On the 28th of August, Amandla Stenberg, who portrays the main character in the ‘Star Wars’ series ‘The Acolyte’ made a post regarding Lucasfilm’s surprising decision not to renew the show for a sophomore season, barely a month following the climax of its debut season on Disney+. ‘I’m not overly taken aback,’ she expressed. Ever since the series reveal in 2020, Amandla elaborated, ‘we began to see an onslaught of what could only be characterised as ultraconservative animosity and malignant speech, prejudice, hostility, and hatred directed towards our team.’ ‘The Acolyte’ had now unfortunately joined a growing list of high-profile targets of a phenomenon known as ‘toxic fandom.’
‘Toxic fandom’ has come to describe a transition whereby fans’ criticism moves beyond genuine grievances and escalates into an incessantly negative, often prejudiced online crusade against the project, its actors, or its creative leadership. In an era where franchise popularity crucially determines profit margins, the danger of toxic fandoms tarnishing that fan base loyalty has turned into a seemingly enduring migraine for most studios. The situation is only deteriorating.
A significant example of this worsening trend came in the form of two episodes; one from ‘House of the Dragon’ featuring a romantic scene between two female characters, and the other from ‘The Last of Us,’ focusing on a same-sex couple. Both fell victim to review bombing – a tactic that involves inundating platforms such as Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb with a barrage of negative reviews. This practice emerged on a broader level following the initial screening of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in 2017.
Moreover, an entire online video subculture has emerged striving to label projects including ‘The Marvels’ and ‘The Boys’ as ‘woke trash’ or using more derogatory labels. ‘These subgroups are quite outspoken,’ remarks a studio executive. ‘They brazenly threaten us, ‘If you proceed with this, you should expect a backlash.” This wave of online opposition has sometimes pressed studios into making adjustments to their projects. ‘Given a sufficient time window and an incomplete film, we can certainly implement those type of changes,’ the executive adds.
There have been occasions when responding directly to these animosities was deemed necessary. In 2022, Moses Ingram, a star of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ came forward acknowledging the ‘countless’ racial hate messages directed at her respective role. Expressing her exasperation, she uttered, ‘There’s no way around this. There’s no conceivable method to halt this influx of hatred.’
Subsequently, Lucasfilm released a statement via its Star Wars social media accounts that read, ‘The Star Wars galaxy is home to over 20 million sentient species, choose not to be a racist.’ This could be seen as a thinly veiled call-out to fans harbouring prejudices. The Star Wars accounts then proceeded to share a video of ‘Obi-Wan’ lead actor Ewan McGregor. ‘This abuse makes me utterly nauseous,’ he stated emphatically, condemning those fueling the hate, ‘if you’re sending her intimidating messages, I wouldn’t consider you a Star Wars aficionado in my book.’
In retrospect, it appears obvious that studios face a double-edged sword. On one hand, they must cater to their audiences to ensure necessary revenue streams and franchise growth. However, on the other, they face the challenge of managing ‘toxic fandoms,’ a pernicious force that threatens to derail creative objectives and harm the well-being of talent.
Lucasfilm’s experience with the abrupt cancellation of ‘The Acolyte’ serves as a stark reminder of the threats posed by negative online campaigns. These can lead to tangible consequences, affecting both the longevity of creative projects and the moral of their creators. It is a phenomenon that was perhaps unanticipated in the era of traditional television but has become all too real in the digital age.
Projects such as ‘The Marvels,’ ‘The Boys,’ ‘House of The Dragon,’ and ‘The Last of Us,’ despite their unique themes and offerings, have succumbed to the unsettling playbook of ‘toxic fandom.’ Unfortunately, this tarnishes the safe space that many viewers seek within the bounds of these franchises. It also limits the potential for creative expansion and representation on screen.
The members at the receiving end of ‘toxic fandom,’ including actors like Amandla Stenberg and Moses Ingram, should be noted too. They continuously grapple with the harsh reality of such digital onslaughts, often at the cost of their emotional well-being. It’s a scenario that requires more than just ad hoc interventions; it indeed demands a systemic change in the way fandom operates.
In the wake of all these experiences, studios like Lucasfilm find themselves obliged to take a stand, often in defence of their team. In doing so, they make it unequivocally clear that the fictional universes they create do not accommodate or advocate destructive attitudes or behaviours, thereby setting a strong precedent for the industry.
‘Toxic fandom’ stands as an imposing challenge to the harmonious existence of creative content and its cherished fans. It’s an issue that certainly needs more attention and action at both the studio and community levels. It remains to be seen whether platforms, creators, and fans can unite and consciously work toward a better, more inclusive fandom culture.
How studio executives and project creators respond to such actions in future will surely be watched closely. Will they bow to the pressure, capitulate to demands and risk stifling originality and inclusivity? Or will they choose to stand up for their content, their creators, and their diverse audience, potentially incurring the wrath of these toxic segments of the fandom?
Perhaps the key lies in the fandom itself, which encompasses a diverse range of individuals with varied interests and sensitivities. If toxic behaviours can be isolated and opposed within their ranks, positive change can be driven from within. The message from Lucasfilm- ‘Choose not to be a racist’- could very well be a rallying cry for this transition.