John Boyega addressed his critics on Instagram over the weekend, telling those who have a problem with the "Star Wars" actor's race to "get used to it."
The controversy started last week with the release of the official trailer for the hotly anticipated "Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens." Some commenters seemed more focused on Boyega being black than the contents of the film.
"Even the Empire has been forced into affirmative action hiring practices," one YouTuber posted. "Sorry, but black Stormtroopers seem tame and somehow misplaced."
"He can’t be a Stormtrooper, they’re all white," another person wrote.
Boyega, who is the first actor to appear in the "Star Wars" teaser trailer, took the high road with his message on Instagram, thanking fans for their support and telling his distractors to "get used to it."
With love xxx
Una foto publicada por @jboyega el
The 22-year-old Brit, who starred in the 2011 film "Attack the Block," found plenty of support online after the social media attacks, with his supporters tagging their posts #blackstormtroopers.
"The #blackstormtrooper hashtag began with fans complaining about the casting decision . . . but the hashtag has since been taken over by people complaining about the initial outrage, and posting memes about the
black Stormtrooper," The Independent's Daisy Wyatt wrote.
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