The series premiere of Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+ spawned whitewashing concerns among some fans who pointed out that characters such as the various clones and Caleb Dume appeared lighter in complexion. Now, a new report suggests these concerns are being directly addressed by Lucasfilm.
Shortly after the premiere on May 4, #UnWhiteWashTBB began gaining traction on Twitter. According to io9, a source close to production on The Bad Batch noted there were last-minute changes made to the lighting tools to mitigate the effects the brightness had on characters during the scenes on Kaller and at the Kaminoan cloning facility. More changes are expected to be made for future episodes.
The clone troopers are derived from the genetic material of Jango Fett, played by Temuera Morrison in Attack of the Clones and voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in animated form. Morrison is of Māori, Scottish and Irish descent and has a tan complexion, while Baker is white. As for Caleb Dume, the character first appeared as the older Kanan Jarus in Star Wars Rebel and has no live-action counterpart, though he's voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr. Notably, Kanan has a tan complexion in Rebels but was rendered with fair skin in The Bad Batch.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army - each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.
Created by Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Bad Batch stars Dee Bradley Baker and Ming-Na Wen. New episodes premiere Fridays on Disney+.
Source: io9