Daisy Ridley, the star of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and upcoming New Jedi Order film, has insisted that sexism within the franchise’s fanbase is blown out of proportion. Since it was announced that Ridley would return as Rey in an upcoming Star Wars movie, common complaints have been raised by those who consider the sequel movies to be the worst-ranked Star Wars trilogy. While many have shared their excitement for the movie and Ridley’s return as Rey, some aspects of the film’s production – including director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s prior works – have caused similar online discourse that surrounded the sequel trilogy.
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In spite of this backlash, Daisy Ridley has insisted that sexism in the Star Wars fanbase is blown out of proportion in an interview with NBC News. When asked about the online controversy surrounding Ridley’s return in Star Wars’ New Jedi Order story as well as the reaction to Obaid-Chinoy, Ridley had this to say:
“I think my take is things get blown out of proportion and the interactions I’ve ever had with people have been nothing but wonderful and supportive. I’ve only ever been embraced. And I think we’re going to make a great film.”
As evidenced by these comments, it is clear that the online vitriol does not affect Ridley’s overall perception of the Star Wars fanbase. Given the franchise’s history of fan outcry negatively affecting actors behind the scenes from Hayden Christensen and Jake Lloyd to Ahmed Best and Kelly Marie Tran, it is a joy to hear how Ridley views the fans of a galaxy far, far away.
Ridley’s Positivity About Star Wars Is The Reason She’s Willing To Return
The positive outlook Ridley shows about the Star Wars franchise and its fanbase is undoubtedly the reason the actor is willing to return. After all, the outcry and backlash against the sequel trilogy and its many characters would be enough to dissuade anyone from returning regardless of the storytelling promise. That said, Ridley’s comments make it clear that the sexism in Star Wars – among other deplorable issues in the franchise such as racism – is an overblown aspect of an online vocal minority.
As evident, Ridley’s experience with Star Wars fans has been nothing but positive when confronted in reality. This makes it even more heartwarming that Ridley is willing to return, especially when the actress has been open in the past about the emotional cost of being the face of a franchise as large as Star Wars. Thankfully, Ridley’s positive outlook on large sections of the Star Wars franchise has enabled her return and similarly enabled a character as fantastic as Rey Skywalker to live on in future stories in a galaxy far, far away.
