Iconic Looney Tunes character Pepé Le Pew made headlines last week following his apparent removal from the upcoming Space Jam sequel. While Warner Bros. has yet to address the real reason behind the character being dropped from the project, fans quickly assumed that it had something to do with the character allegedly "normalizing" rape culture. To those unaware, in the cartoons, the French skunk is head over heels for a cat named Penelope and he would often grab and kiss her without Penelope's consent.
Now, new details about Le Pew's removal from the LeBron James film have surfaced. Apparently, there was a scene between him in the Los Angeles Lakers player that previously filmed but hasn't been animated. According to Comic Book Resources, the said sequence would have featured Le Pew getting a valuable lesson from the NBA superstar regarding consent.
Now, the internet has launched a wacky new movement in hopes of saving Pepé and giving him his Space Jam: A New Legacy moment back. Taking inspiration from Justice League's #ReleaseTheSnyderCut crusade, Looney Tunes fans have started a #ReleaseThePepeCut movement, and as hilarious as it may sound, I think their agenda is crystal clear. Check out some of the tweets below:
It's quite bewildering why Warner Bros. would choose to drop the said scene considering it wasn't going to be something so controversial after all and would've actually addressed issues about consent that will teach younger viewers a valuable lesson. But there's still time for them to reconsider since we're still months away from the film's release.
Space Jam: A New Legacy hits cinemas and HBO Max this July.
Also Read:Official Space Jam 2 Images Featuring LeBron James and Bugs Bunny Release
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