In the series, the titular Mandalorian, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), travels the wide galaxy while caring for an alien Yoda-species youngling (dubbed "Baby Yoda" in popular culture) who has mysterious powers he doesn't understand. While acknowledging the casting controversy, many critics still praise the return of Ahsoka. The GoFundMe campaign "Trans Rights are Human Rights: This is the Way," which benefits the Transgender Law Center, was created in response to "Mandalorian" cast member Gina Carano's dismissive tweets against pronoun courtesy. There's still the task of pushing Lucasfilm to listen and address their marginalized audience. But until then, fans have taken it upon themselves to counter the toxicity and support their transgender compatriots. As long as the court system continues to fail transgender people, these clouds will remain. And even if his remaining two claims are dismissed or withdrawn, the studio still shouldn't shrug off fans' vocal concerns as wrong and invalid. And if recasting was possible on time, it would have been the safest path to avoid hurting transgender fans while Finley's accusations were still pending. I wish during that wait Lucasfilm at least addressed the accusations while establishing concrete actions to be inclusive and cognizant of fandom concerns. I suspect that this was strategic silence to not spoil Ahsoka's arrival, but this secrecy came at the expense of its audience members contending with the uncertainty.
For months the press reported on the rumors of Dawson's casting, but the studio stayed mum. I do not have easy answers on how Lucasfilm should have responded to the situation. In the words of Josefina Vineyard, a Star Wars fan quoted in Vanity Fair, "It is simply more realistic to assume that if one is accused of something so common as transphobia, that there is likely merit to that."
However, that relies on the misconception that those in LGBTQ+ circles cannot commit transphobia. Some insist that Dawson's queer identity and her public support for the LGBTQ+ community disproves Finley's narrative. In addition, those who let loose defensive rhetoric to such accusations render these fandom spaces unsafe for transgender fans. When it comes to the financial dynamics between a wealthy celebrity and a transgender employee and how court cases historically fail transgender people, the power imbalances shouldn't be ignored. However, doubts about Dawson's true feelings and actions linger in the fandom. In a follow-up interview, Dawson denied the accusations. In 2019, transgender handyman Dedrek Finley filed a civil lawsuit accusing Dawson of holding him down while her mother beat him, as well as accusing her family of misgendering and deadnaming abuse.Īccording to Vanity Fair, 18 of the 20 claims were withdrawn voluntarily without a settlement, and the remaining claims concern the alleged physical altercation. Unfortunately, it was marred to due to controversy attached to her casting, in addition to qualms with her performance.įanny packs are back, baby! A weird fashion silver lining in a sweatpants yearĪdvice for "Emily in Paris" season 2: Drop the Americanized fantasy and get to know the real cityĪlthough Dawson is a popular and acclaimed actress who has conquered genre fandom in both the DC and Marvel universes, the possibility of her entry into the Star Wars galaxy came under fire early on due to troubling accusations. The arrival of Dawson as Ahsoka in the episode "Chapter 13: The Jedi" should've been cause for rejoicing. Dawson had already expressed interest in playing Ahsoka as early as 2017, and although rumors of her casting abounded in the last few years, Lucasfilm never confirmed them.
#AHSOKA TANO MANDALORIAN ACTRESS SERIES#
The Disney+ series "The Mandalorian," which takes place after the events of "Return of the Jedi," was the most logical place for her leap into live action. Once Ahsoka's voice was heard offscreen in "Rise of Skywalker," anticipation to meet her in the flesh grew. Despite an initial rocky reception, her snark, her insecurities, and her badassery won the hearts of many Star Wars fans, including skeptics like me, especially since Ahsoka was the first onscreen female Jedi with a complex coming-of-age arc that included challenging the Jedi institution that raised her. The addition of Ahsoka, voiced by Ashley Eckstein, to canon was both risky and game-changing as the apprentice to Anakin Skywalker, who would someday become the infamous Darth Vader. Much had been riding on selecting just the right actress to portray the headstrong young Jedi of the Togruta race, who was first introduced to George Lucas' Star Wars universe in the animated "Clone Wars" series created by Dave Filoni.
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