'SNL' Cast Member Leslie Jones Talks Criticism of Her 'Ghostbusters' 2016 Character, Patty

Last week, the trailer for the upcoming reboot of Ghostbusters came out, and while the movie looks funny, one thing called everyone's attention: Leslie Jones' role. Patty Tolan is the only black lead character and, as opposed to the other three ladies, she's also the only non-scientist, prompting calls of racism and stereotypes. And now, the Saturday Night Live cast member defends her 2016 role.

The actress and comedienne went on a Twitter rant last Friday, not long after the first official trailer for the reboot came out, with many pointing out how her character played the stereotypically black role of the street-savvy lady. Saying she was proud of playing a "hardworking woman," Jones called out critics for the inherent racism of saying the character was "a lowly MTA worker."

"Regular people save the world everyday, so if I'm the stereotype!! Then so be it!!" Jones tweeted regarding the recent controversy. "We walk among heroes and take them for granted."

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Little is known so far about the characters in general, but it seems the trailer may have actually cut some background on Jones' Patty. According to Slash Film, Andrew Shaffer, a best-selling author who's publishing a Ghostbusters tie-in novel later this year, said that Patty has been described as holding a different position in marketing materials for the upcoming film: she's a municipal historian.

The author also pointed out that, in fact, Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees make more money than some scientists, as the average annual salary of a physics professor is $55,000, while it's $80,000 for an MTA employee.

In all, the way Patty was portrayed in the trailer could in fact be one of numerous winks the film makes to its 80's predecessor. On the original films, Ernie Hudson, the only black member of the main original cast, was not a scientist, unlike his fellow Ghostbusters.

For now, the film seems to follow the same formula as the original movie, but it might just be the way the trailer was edited.

The Ghostbusters reboot will be out on theaters on July 15.