Star Wars fans are passionate, but in recent years, we've seen some of that passion transform into hatred. While the sequel trilogy was undeniably divisive, leading to some backlash (often for good reason) regarding key creative decisions, there was no excuse for the sort of racist abuse aimed at actors like John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran.
Moses Ingram plays a member of the villainous Sith Inquisitors, Reva, in Obi-Wan Kenobi and there have already been some bizarre theories online that she's the true lead of the series for the sake of so-called "forced diversity."
It's nonsensical, but a good indication of what non-white actors heading to this Galaxy Far, Far Away often have to face. Talking to The Independent, Ingram explained how Lucasfilm prepared her for that. "It was something that Lucasfilm actually got in front of, and said, 'This is a thing that, unfortunately, likely will happen. But we are here to help you; you can let us know when it happens.'"
The actor went on to explain that director Deborah Chow made sure to put "the proper systems in place so I feel safe as we do the work," adding that "there are always pockets of hate...but I have no problem with the block button."
"Obi-Wan is going to bring the most diversity I think we've ever seen in the galaxy before. To me, it’s long overdue," she continued. "If you’ve got talking droids and aliens, but no people of color, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s 2022, you know. So we’re just at the beginning of that change. But I think to start that change is better than never having started it."
We can't disagree with anything Ingram is saying here and look forward to seeing what she brings to this Galaxy Far, Far Away as Reva. Hopefully, the vast majority of fans will embrace both the actor and the character, silencing the inevitable haters who will target Ingram due to her race.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ with its first two episodes this Friday, May 27.