LeBron James is getting fans excited for Space Jam: A New Legacy. On Thursday (March 4), he shared the first photos of him and his Looney Tunes cast members.
“Ya’ll not ready for the squad,” read the basketball player’s social media caption. The post itself includes images that capture him posing with Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck and Tweety.
A conversation about the photos ensued, but fans seemed to focus more on the visual for Lola Bunny, which has changed since the 1996 film. In the new images, the character who previously wore tighter and shorter gym attire is dressed like everyone else: in typical workout gear with compression shorts underneath.
According to TMZ, Malcolm D. Lee, the director of the film, wasn’t a fan of the “very sexualized” image of Lola and wanted the bunny “to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters.”
Some users, however, didn’t think there was a need to switch up Lola’s look. “Why won’t they let Lola Bunny be a baddie in the new Space Jam? Who is this?” one person asked.
A few people poked fun at the current generation and their tendency to pick apart everything on social media, while others noted that Lola’s appearance simply doesn’t matter. “Lol all the angry comments over Lola Bunny today,” a Twitter user wrote. “Sorry she’s not overtly sexualized this time, fellas, but you know she doesn’t have to be to kick major ass, right? Reminder it’s also a kids’ movie. Stay mad.”
“Here’s the thing: bid tiddies original Lola Bunny is an icon, unhinged stalker tv show Lola Bunny is an icon, top surgery new movie Lola Bunny is an icon. Lola Bunny IS AN ICON,” added another Space Jam fan.
James — who stars in the Space Jam sequel
is excited for the forthcoming film, but he’s also aware of the expectations following Michael Jordan’s role in the original movie.
“In my younger days, part of my thinking was, ‘Space Jam was so good, how can I top this?’” he told Entertainment Weekly. “There’s always going to be conversations about LeBron trying to do everything Michael [did]. But I’ve gotten older, and you know who you are. You know what you stand for.”
Space Jam: A New Legacy will see James and the Tunes playing a game of basketball against the formidable Goon Squad so that he could save his son, who they are holding hostage. The HBO Max film is slated to drop on July 16.