It's not uncommon to read petitions about anything in popular media these days. Anytime there's a divisive decision made in a popular film, there's always the chance someone will complain about it in the form of a petition and Star Wars: The Last Jedi is no exception. Yesterday, we learned there was a petition online, created by a Star Wars fan and signed by other fans, that indicated those fans wanted Disney to pull Star Wars: The Last Jedi from canon. Now, the author of the petition has spoken out, explaining that he would like to retract the petition after writing it on painkillers.
This is the type of story that couldn't be wilder if it were made up. The dude who wrote the petition in the hopes that The Last Jedi would get pulled from Star Wars canon now says that he was in a car accident last December. A year later, he's in a wheelchair and still taking pain medication for his injuries, and he says he has trouble sitting up for extended periods of time. This was the mood he was in when he went to see the latest Star Wars franchise flick, but now he sees the err of his ways. According to Change.org petitioner Henry Walsh,
So after spending the time to get to the movie, watch it, and get back I was in ridiculous pain. I was frustrated and medicated. So, I made this petition. It was a bad idea at the time and I feel that we are pooling our efforts in not a healthy direction.
He now believes this wasn't a healthy direction for himself and other Star Wars fans to go in, noting that Disney and Lucasfilm are unlikely to look at the 36,929 people who have signed the petition at the time of this writing and honor their request.
I love all of the support, but we also know that Disney isn't going to do anything, and with so many people, who have much better causes, who are struggling to gain attention it is a shame that this is getting this level of media attention.
People who do random stuff on the internet don't often get the opportunity for take backs, but in the case of this petition, the dude who wrote it really wants people to get on board with helping another -- any other in fact --cause. So far, it doesn't seem to have slowed down the number of people signing the petition, however. More info on the original petition can be found, here.
While the one dude in particular may now believe he acted too hastily and that Rian Johnson's vision should remain in canon even if it wasn't his favorite, in other news, one of CinemaBlend's intrepid editors also came across a second petition regarding Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi today. This one wants to replace Luke Skywalker with a dog who solves mysteries. So, there's that.
