Logan director James Mangold says fan backlashes will drive talent away from franchises

'If you feel the film-makers are just corporate tools and powerless, then why bitch at us?'

Star Wars, Marvel, DC... These franchises, once seen as belonging to just a few basement dwellers, have become world-conquering blockbusters, loved by people of all ages. So popular has Marvel become that a movie about two people who take their alter-ego names from insects has made $161 million over one weekend.

However, there remains a very vocal minority who are willing to have tantrums when a storyline does not adhere to their standards/imagination. This has become particularly bad with regards Star Wars, where one subset of ‘fans’ decided to drive Kelly Marie Tran off social media by sending the actor abuse and declare that The Last Jedi (which made $1.3 billion) be refilmed with a new script.

James Mangold – who directed Logan and has been lined up to helm the upcoming Boba Fett movie – has expressed concern that the petty outrage could end up driving away talented actors, directors and writers as they do not want to be exposed to the toxic side of fandoms.

“At the point when work writing and directing big franchises has become the emotionally loaded equivalent of writing a new chapter of The Bible (with the probable danger of being stoned and called a blasphemer), then a lot of bolder minds are gonna leave these films to hacks and corporate boards,” Mangold wrote on Twitter.

In reply to one person joking that the movies already belong to ‘corporate boards’, the director responded: “If you feel that is the case, if you feel the film-makers are just corporate tools and powerless, then why bitch at us? In the case of [Last Jedi director] Rian Johnson and [The Mummy writer] Christopher Mcquarrie, I assure you these cats are not ‘owned’. They actually fight your battles behind the scenes.” Read more of the replies below.

Various people involved with these movies, including Mark Hamill, John Boyega, and Johnson, have spoken out against those who send abuse. Boyega wrote following Tran deleting her social media profiles: “If you don’t like Star Wars or the characters, understand that there are decision makers and harassing the actors/actresses will do nothing.”

He added: “To the majority of Star Wars fans, thank you for supporting and putting yourselves in our shoes. You understand that there is a process so much appreciated!”