Oscar Isaac, known most recently for portraying Poe Dameron in the new Star Wars trilogy, has not been shy about his discontent. He’s poisoned on returning to that galaxy far, far away as long as Disney continues to make decisions like this one. The actor, who appeared in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens and its sequels, expressed a desire for the company to steer clear of fascistic tendencies before he would consider future projects.
Isaac’s comments come as he promotes his latest venture in Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein, where he portrays the titular character, Victor Frankenstein. The actor’s comments represent the fears of many in Tinseltown, fears shared by onlookers watching Disney’s recent moves and decisions.
In September, Disney-owned ABC suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. This move came after his inflammatory remarks on the Trump administration’s handling of Charlie Kirk’s assassination on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Brendan Carr, a commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), threatened to revoke the licenses of Disney and local broadcasters that aired Kimmel’s show. Carr’s disturbing threat came when he was a guest on a right-wing podcast. He is scheduled to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee in December on this very topic.
Isaac’s comments were part of a growing chorus that includes prominent directors, actors and writers attacking Disney’s management of Kimmel suspension. He reinforced his points by using examples where he attempted to work with Disney previously. Yet his stance has turned due to what they’ve done in the past few weeks.
“Yeah. I mean, I’d be open to it, although right now I’m not so open to working with Disney. But if they can kinda figure it out and, you know, not succumb to fascism, that would be great … if that happens, then yeah, I’d be open to having a conversation about a galaxy far away. Or any number of other things.” – Oscar Isaac
Actors and others in the industry are getting louder about their fears. Their creative misgivings aren’t just disrupters blowing up a corporate PR strategy—they signal a larger anti-corporate movement in artistic spheres.
Kimmel himself responded to the backlash surrounding his comments, asserting that “the Maga gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” His defense reveals the toxic political atmosphere outside of which all media narratives now exist.