Recently, the LEGO company in partnership with Disney decided to drop the name Slave I for the LEGO set of Boba Fett's ship.
Now some Star Wars fans are losing it.
Since Disney integrated the Star Wars universe into their own, fans worried "Disneyfying" the franchise would ruin the magic they know and love. Certain die-hard fans continued their outrage over changes to the decades old film franchise.
In an interview with Jedi News, LEGO Star Wars Design Director Jens Kronvold Frederiksen and LEGO Star Wars Lead Designer Michael Lee Stockwell explained the name is changing, but they're just the first ones to do it officially.
In other words, they want the sometimes toxic fanbase to know LEGO is not driving the change.
In the past, widespread misogyny, homophobia and racism among mostly White male fans who feel entitled to keep the Star Wars universe mostly cisgender White, male and heterosexual drove actors of color and women off social media with their constant harassment.
Stockwell said:
"We're not calling it Slave I any more. This is Boba Fett's Starship."
Kronvold continued:
"Everybody is [dropping the name]. It's probably not something which has been announced publicly but it is just something that Disney doesn't want to use any more."
Though the team changed the name to Boba Fett's Starship on the LEGO box, it remains on the official Star Wars website.
Mark Anthony Austin was credited as the actor who voiced Boba Fett in the 1997 special edition rerdlease version of Star Wars: A New Hope. Austin—who wasn't affiliated with the original version of the film—recently tweeted multiple times about his outrage on the change in ship name.
My ship will forever be Slave1. Nothing. Not even #disney can or will change that. This is the way. https://t.co/Qt99Yo8dEz— Mark Anthony Austin (@Mark Anthony Austin) 1624848710.0
https://t.co/jUqUty2x0D— Mark Anthony Austin (@Mark Anthony Austin) 1625068411.0
Other fans like Austin posted similar sentiments.
Disney yet again with the woke identity politics crap. Asking Lego to change the name SLAVE 1 to Boba Fett ship..… https://t.co/4wF1PCEGMg— DarthPunk (@DarthPunk) 1624796413.0
Slave 1. Always and forever. ❤🔥❤ #BobaFett #TheMandalorian #StarWars https://t.co/U7Cx6M6BF9— Jobbie King🏴 (@Jobbie King🏴) 1624875069.0
Austin also called Disney "bullies."
He said they're only making the change for profit.
Disney are bullies. Bullies fixated on profit margins only. https://t.co/UJYotSgOgT— Mark Anthony Austin (@Mark Anthony Austin) 1624906711.0
But many people say Austin and other fans are blowing this way out of proportion.
@BobaFettANHSE Say a 4 year old kid wants this Lego set and their parent has no idea of Star Wars or has only seen… https://t.co/RiCFC4PWxM— Joel Berry (@Joel Berry) 1624898536.0
@BobaFettANHSE Dude it was for a lego box, not canonically. https://t.co/DsnYHD1KuV— Palpamemes (@Palpamemes) 1624911917.0
@BobaFettANHSE bruh stop crying its just lego standardization lmao https://t.co/69OUaMbV0E— Lyreon (@Lyreon) 1624901613.0
@Toonimator @BobaFettANHSE No, because he's fighting for the word "slave" and we all know it.— Decay (@Decay) 1624914127.0
@McGirlGal/Twitter; @jonescarl/Twitter
@BobaFettANHSE The original fellow died, and the current fellow is currently playing the role. https://t.co/0o9hHXWiv8— Mr Pauly Mac 🇨🇦 (@Mr Pauly Mac 🇨🇦) 1624898732.0
@BobaFettANHSE if it's called Slave 1 then why does Han Solo say "I recognize that, it's called Boba Fett's Ship" in Empire Strikes back?— tunes to make you run away (@tunes to make you run away) 1624886778.0
@BobaFettANHSE It shocks me that this is the hill you chose to fight and die on. You're triggered over LEGO not usi… https://t.co/yoH2L6UfRc— B͎r͎a͎d͎ ͎D͎i͎r͎k͎s͎ (@B͎r͎a͎d͎ ͎D͎i͎r͎k͎s͎) 1624988920.0
I’m pretty sure Boba Fett’s ship is referred to as “Slave 1” zero times onscreen. Grown ass people really be throwi… https://t.co/zmWotFWKB8— Zaki Hasan (@Zaki Hasan) 1624908836.0
People seriously have their panties in a twist over Boba Fett’s ship losing the “Slave 1” name?! https://t.co/cvz7nnpYBj— Julie Benson (@Julie Benson) 1624900450.0
The ship's name is slave 1. It is boba fett's starship. Both things are true. Go outside and touch some grass. https://t.co/171f6YPgOB— R.N. Laing (@R.N. Laing) 1624897536.0
This isn't the first time Disney has taken action to update their franchise to modern times. Disney phased out the term "Slave Leia" and her bikini outfit from merchandising.
They also recently fired Mandalorian actress Gina Carano after a series of social media posts she made including equating being a Republican today to being Jewish during the Holocaust.
Just like Austin, Carano also called them bullies.
This doesn't seem like it will be the last time Disney makes changes to the space opera that is Star Wars. Until fans like Austin get the money to buy the franchise rights, it looks like they'll have to learn to live with the changes or take their old toys and go home.