Star Wars Defends Kenobi's Reva Actor After Racist Backlash
The official Star Wars Twitter account has defended Obi-Wan Kenobi star Moses Ingram after the actor received racist backlash on social media. Set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the latest Disney+ series set in a galaxy far, far away sees Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) living in secret on Tatooine, keeping a watchful eye on young Luke Skywalker while avoiding the tyrannical Galactic Empire. Joining McGregor is Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, as well as Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse and Jimmy Smits, reprising their Sith roles. Along with these familiar faces are newcomers Moses Ingram, Rupert Friend, Sung Kang, and Rya Kihlstedt as the fearsome Imperial Inquisitors on the hunt for Kenobi. With Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 1 and 2 now streaming, the series has largely been met with critical acclaim so far.
However, Obi-Wan Kenobi has also been subjected to some racism-fuelled backlash online for its casting of Ingram as Reva Sevander/Third Sister. Such complaints typically accuse the series of merely hiring Ingram as a 'diversity box-ticking' exercise, rather than for her capabilities as an actor. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that Star Wars cast members have been subjected to racist comments from those who claim to be fans of the franchise. Kelly Marie Tran also received online abuse for her role as Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, as did John Boyega for his casting as lead character Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Related: Who Is Reva in Kenobi TV Show? Star Wars Inquisitor Explained
Now, Lucasfilm and Disney have now come out in full support of Ingram in the wake of this backlash. In a statement issued on the official Star Wars Twitter account,
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