In a new interview, The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, who is also set to take on the as-yet untitled Star Wars: Episode IX, weighs in on what made certain fans so nuts about the franchise’s most recent installment. While some critics took umbrage at The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson’s perceived liberties with the canonical nature of the Force (oh, you know the scene) or the movie’s tone or its humor, others openly disliked the new female-fronted nature of the franchise. “Their problem isn’t Star Wars, their problem is being threatened,†Abrams told IndieWire about that subset of fans on Friday. “Star Wars is a big galaxy, and you can sort of find almost anything you want to in Star Wars.†Said the director, “If you are someone who feels threatened by women and needs to lash out against them, you can probably find an enemy in Star Wars.â€
With such a “incredibly passionate and vocal fan base,†Abrams says it’s inevitable that all Star Wars filmmakers will be bombarded with differing opinions. If some fans’ opinion demands that the films scale back the role of women however, well, Abrams suggests that’s a bit of a them problem. “Anyone who wants to find a problem with anything can find the problem,†he remarks. “The internet seems to be made for that.†Abrams also dismisses the idea that fan complaints would influence the next Star Wars sequel. “There’s a lot that I would like to say about it, but I feel like it’s a little early to be having the Episode IX conversation,†he says. “I will say that the story of Rey and Poe and Finn and Kylo Ren — and if you look, there are three men and one woman, to those that are complaining that there are too many women in Star Wars — their story continues in a way that I couldn’t be more excited about and cannot wait for people to see.â€