In Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot, Leslie Jones teams up with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Kate McKinnon to bust ghosts (no, really). While the film hasn’t yet reached audiences, some viewers have criticized its trailer for putting Jones’s character in a stereotypical role: She’s the only non-white member of the team, and the only character who isn’t a scientist. Jones, however, has responded to those complaints on Twitter by sharing a message she received from an MTA employee, who was moved by the depiction of her profession onscreen. “Why can’t a regular person be a ghostbuster,” Jones wrote in one tweet. “And why can’t i be the one who plays them i am a performer. Just go see the movie!” [sic]
As EW points out, the Ghostbusters franchise has a troubled history with regard to representation. Ernie Hudson, for instance, the only non-white member of the original Ghostbusters team, saw his part cut down significantly in the 1984 film, as the character’s background was pretty much cut from the final version of the film’s script.
Of course, until the new Ghostbusters premieres on July 22, it’ll be impossible for us all to know what Jones’s rule truly looks like — though that won’t stop her from shutting down complaints on Twitter in the interim.