Boba Fett Actor Among Those Berating Disney For Ditching ‘Slave 1’ Ship Name

The Mandalorian/Star Wars

June 30, 2021, 6:54 am

News broke over the weekend that Disney appears to be phasing out the use of “Slave 1” as the name of Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett’s spaceship, and one of the actors who played him is among those speaking out against the change.

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The world first became aware of this likely change after an interview with LEGO Star Wars designers Jens Kronvold Frederiksen and Michael Lee Stockwell explaining that not only would the upcoming LEGO version of Boba Fett’s spaceship no longer carry the familiar name, but that it would be wiped from the future Star Wars universe entirely.

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“Everybody is [dropping the Slave 1 name],” Frederiksen told JediNews.com. “It’s probably not something which has been announced publicly but it is just something that Disney doesn’t want to use anymore.”

As noted by the Daily Dot’s Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, while there was no major campaign for the name to be changed, it was something that “had been mildly controversial for a while,” due to the obvious connotations and a lack of necessity for it to be named as such.

But as tends to happen with major franchises, and particularly Star Wars, a certain segment of fans didn’t take to the news well.

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Kinda cringe seeing all the clickbait around Slave 1… it’s purely marketing. Nothing has changed canon-wise. pic.twitter.com/pQtGq1NZsb

— The Star Wars Lounge (@StarWarsLounge) June 28, 2021

Perhaps loudest among the detractors of the change is Mark Anthony Austin, a visual effects artist who portrayed Boba Fett in the special edition version of Episode IV.

Austin has posted dozens of tweets about the change, comparing Boba Fett and Slave 1 to “Han and Chewie” and mockingly suggesting other things within the Star Wars universe Disney can rename for sounding too violent.

When applying for personalized plates for my car the DMV would not allow “Slave1“. Okay I understand. Had to try. But I get it.

This #disney idiocy however. Not buying it. Not conforming to the Mouse, no siree. Not gonna happen.

When I was growing up I loved #disney. No more. pic.twitter.com/9076VcIiwN

— Mark Anthony Austin (@BobaFettANHSE) June 28, 2021

You have to consider who’s ship it is. A bounty hunter. A hunter of dangerous targets. Somebody like that imbues mystery, darkness and brooding….

Slave1 is a perfect name for such a character’s spaceship. It too imbues a dark and ominous threat to be feared by any fugitive.

— Mark Anthony Austin (@BobaFettANHSE) June 28, 2021

Dear #disney

In regards to the #starwars franchise.

If you DON’T like it. DON’T buy it.

Simple.

— Mark Anthony Austin (@BobaFettANHSE) June 28, 2021

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I felt a great disturbance in the force… As if a million voices suddenly cried out in terror at a heinous renaming…

— Mark Anthony Austin (@BobaFettANHSE) June 28, 2021

I agree I am passionate. Maybe too passionate.

And if I can make them think twice I’ll call that a victory in itself…. Let’s hope we see an end to this ridiculousness.

May the force be with us!

– Boba Fett pic.twitter.com/apYUBiUMf5

— Mark Anthony Austin (@BobaFettANHSE) June 28, 2021

At the end of the day, renaming a minor character’s ship is unlikely to tank the Star Wars universe, and it’s expected that Disney might make some changes to the franchise as time goes on. And to that end, it’s highly unlikely that this will be the last time some unexpected change comes about — and it’s definitely not the last time Star Wars fans resistant to inclusivity will be upset about either a change or addendum to the franchise.

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*First Published: June 30, 2021, 6:54 am