Russell T. Davies has criticised the online culture of leaks, outrage and harassment surrounding major science-fiction franchises, arguing that relentless fan hostility is damaging Star Wars, Doctor Who and Star Trek.
The former Doctor Who showrunner makes the argument in an excerpt from his book The Queerest of Folk: A Life in Television. His comments followed intense online discussion around a leak concerning Billie Piper’s return as Rose Tyler before Doctor Who’s second-season finale premiered on 31 May 2025.
The leak spread across platforms including TikTok and YouTube. Discussion soon moved away from the reported ending and towards claims that the show had been ruined by its new direction and had become part of a so-called culture war.
“Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, they’re all being brought down by contempt.”
Davies argues that monetised channels using leaks and outrage to attract viewers are not merely affecting individual productions. In his view, they are influencing the wider science-fiction genre. The same cycle can be seen in gaming and entertainment coverage, where controversy often travels faster than thoughtful criticism.
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Star Wars has a long history of internal conflict
Star Wars has become a particularly visible example of the problem. The original trilogy transformed science fiction and created a deeply committed audience around Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo. That devotion also led some fans to treat departures from George Lucas’s approach as betrayals, even when Lucas himself later became the target of fan criticism.
The prequel trilogy shows how damaging that hostility can become. Years of anticipation for a story about Darth Vader’s rise turned into a hostile reaction to the films. Time has softened some opinions about the prequels, but the abuse directed at actors remained serious. Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks, discussed the effect the response had on his mental health, while Hayden Christensen faced intense criticism for his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker before eventually becoming widely appreciated by fans.
The sequel trilogy produced another wave of anger, particularly around The Last Jedi. Even before The Force Awakens reached cinemas in 2015, John Boyega’s casting as Finn attracted racist abuse because Finn was a Black stormtrooper. The reaction was especially absurd in a universe populated by talking aliens and fantastical creatures; commentary at the time documented the racist argument in detail.
Boyega was not the only performer targeted. Kelly Marie Tran and Daisy Ridley were also subjected to sustained harassment and ultimately stepped away from social media. Criticism of a film is legitimate, but organised abuse directed at performers is something else entirely.
Outrage has become part of the business model
The hostility has continued beyond debates about the sequel trilogy. Ewan McGregor publicly defended his Obi-Wan Kenobi co-star Moses Ingram after she faced racist abuse. Amandla Stenberg later said she was not surprised by the cancellation of The Acolyte, pointing to the bigotry directed at the project before it had properly begun.
Even Andor, often regarded as one of the strongest modern Star Wars series, has attracted complaints from viewers who reject its detailed examination of political rebellion. The pattern suggests that no project is completely protected from bad-faith criticism when online personalities can turn anger into clicks and advertising revenue.
Generative artificial intelligence has added another layer to the debate. Some fans now create and share unofficial Star Wars films and shows on YouTube. While these projects can demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and creativity, their popularity can also encourage the idea that fan-made work represents the “real” franchise that Disney and Lucasfilm have withheld.
This is a familiar dynamic across pop culture: a small but highly active group produces constant negative commentary, platforms reward the most inflammatory material, and companies become increasingly cautious about taking creative risks.
Why creative risks matter
Davies’s broader concern is that fear of online backlash pushes studios towards familiar names and safer concepts. In Doctor Who, that meant relying on recognisable figures such as Billie Piper and David Tennant. In Star Wars, it can mean returning repeatedly to the Skywalker family rather than exploring unfamiliar periods and characters.
Andor represented a significant change in direction by depicting the early Rebel Alliance without relying on nostalgia. The Acolyte also attempted something different, travelling back to the High Republic era and presenting the Jedi as a powerful, sometimes authoritarian institution. The series explored the Force in terms that challenged established assumptions, including its non-binary nature.
Those projects were not beyond criticism, and fans do not have to approve of every creative decision. Strong disagreement can be useful when it addresses writing, acting, pacing, design or storytelling. Racism, misogyny and harassment are not reviews, however, and they can intimidate performers and creators while narrowing the range of stories that studios are willing to support.
Lucas has historically valued experimentation and change, even when he disagreed with later interpretations of his work. If Disney and Lucasfilm allow prejudice and outrage to determine the franchise’s future, they risk abandoning the inventive spirit that made Star Wars influential in the first place.
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