Studios have profited from parasocial relationships for decades, creating content so immersive that dissociation is not only a product but the goal. Audiences saw a phenomenon coined “Post-Avatar Depression” in 2009 after the release of “Avatar” and again in 2022 with its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Fans became so engrossed with the world of Pandora that the physical inability to experience it sent many into a depressive state.
Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings are some of the most immersive cinematic and creative universes, creating millions of dedicated fans globally. However, it has also created cultures less open to change regarding their favorite content.
Amandla Stenberg, the lead actress of the recently canceled show “The Acolyte” (2024), was the victim of racist, misogynistic and hateful attacks online along with the entire cast of mostly non-white actors and actresses. Stenbreg addressed this in a video via her Instagram story after the announcement of the cancelation.
“I’m going to be transparent and say it’s not a huge shock for me,” Stenberg said. “There has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it. That’s when we started experiencing a rampage of, I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language towards us.”
While many in the comments of the reposted video seem to disagree with Stenberg’s statement, she is not the only cast member to express these feelings. Jodie Turner-Smith, who played Mother Anisaya, echoed Stenberg’s sentiment in an interview with Glamour UK.
“They’ve got to stop doing this thing where they don’t say anything when people are getting f- - - ing dog-piled on the internet with racism and bulls- - -,” said Turner-Smith. “It’s just not fair to not say anything. It’s really unfair.”
“It would just be nice, if the people that have all the money, were showing their support and putting their feet down,” Turner-Smith said. “Say this is unacceptable: ‘You’re not a fan if you do this.’ Make a really big statement and just see if any money leaves. I bet you it won’t, because people of color, and especially Black people, make up a very large percentage of buying power. They might find that it’s actually more lucrative for them, but everyone’s using ‘woke’ like it’s a dirty word.”
On Stenberg’s Instagram post for the finale of “The Acolyte,” the most-liked comment celebrates the show's cancelation and condemns the show’s “wokeness.”
“Congratulations on the cancelation of this TERRIBLE THING,” user pabloarcadia. “Now I hope you do something of value without identity politics. GET WOKE GO BROKE, BABY!!”
In 2020, John Boyega spoke out about his treatment by Star Wars fans during his time playing the character Fin in the sequel trilogy. The treatment pushed him to be more outspoken as an activist during the protests of the unjust killing of George Floyd.
In an interview with GQ UK, Boyega spoke to reporter Jimi Famurewa about the psychological effect of the backlash he faced.
“I’m the only cast member who had their own unique experience of that franchise based on their race,” Boyega said. “Let’s just leave it like that. It makes you angry with a process like that. It makes you much more militant; it changes you. Because you realize, ‘I got given this opportunity but I’m in an industry that wasn’t even ready for me.’”
“Nobody else in the cast had people saying they [fans] were going to boycott the movie because [they were in it],” Boyega said. “Nobody else had the uproar and death threats sent to their Instagram DMs and social media, saying, ‘Black this and black that and you shouldn’t be a Stormtrooper.’ Nobody else had that experience. But yet people are surprised that I’m this way. That’s my frustration.”
Outside of the Star Wars universe, Marvel fans have been called out for their toxic behaviors towards its entertainers. Brie Larson has been one subject of hate since she took on the role of Captain Marvel.
One X user commented on Larson’s appearance in the first “Captain Marvel” film from 2019, where her character was flying a plane in pilot attire.
“Is Brie Larson capable of any other facial expression other than this one?” the user said. “That face - talk about a piece of wood.” This sentiment resonated among many users who would then photoshop a, very exaggerated, smile on Larsen’s face.
Many would call out the misogynistic hate and point out its connection to the “smile more” harassment many women face daily in male-dominated spaces. Some users would even go as far as to review bomb the film when it was released, though it remained unsuccessful.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson would come to Larsen’s defense against online critics.
“She’s not going to let any of that stuff destroy her,” Jackson said. “These incel dudes who hate strong women, or the fact that she’s a feminist who has an opinion and expressed it? Everybody wants people to be who they want them to be. She is who she is, and she’s genuinely that.”
However, these sentiments would be revived with the release of the sequel film “The Marvels” (2023). X account End Wokeness, posted two side-by-side screenshots of an article from The Detroit News that covered Disney’s efforts towards diversity, inclusion and the low box office opening of “The Marvels” with a caption reading “Every. Single. Time.”
The account also made comments about other Disney and Marvel shows, including one of Marvel’s newest heroines, Maya Lopez, from the 2024 miniseries “Echo.” End Wokeness commented on the show and said, “Marvel just got its first female, Native American, deaf, amputee superhero. No, this is not satire.”
The account also commented on “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” and its scene of a protest.
“This is a scene from The Proud Family, a kids show on Disney+,” the account said. “Why are they showing this woke BLM propaganda to our kids?.”
These posts have garnered over 11 million views along with over 52 thousand likes in total.
People can become attached to their favorite fantasy world, as it provides a space where people see themselves included and represented. However, some aspects of fandom culture can become toxic and lead to a rise in hatred towards actors.
