Update! Star Wars: Episode VIII New Female Lead Shortlist Revealed
The Wrap is reporting tonight that they have pinned down at least part of the shortlist for the new female lead currently being cast for Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII. Among the list of rumored actresses are Gina Rodriguez of “Jane the Virgin”, Tatiana Maslany from “Orphan Black”, and Olivia Cooke fresh off the recently released “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”. Maslany, you will remember, was rumored to be a finalist for the part that eventually went to Felicity Jones for Rogue One.
September 1, 2015
The report from the Wrap specifies that its sources say that we are still early in the casting process, but it is believed that these three actresses are being prepped for chemistry tests with John Boyega. If true, that would indicate significant shared screen time for the two characters in the upcoming Episode VIII. That, in addition to the rumors last week implying that this character could have a relation to Han Solo, really sets those speculation gears in motion when it comes to the plot and characters of the middle chapter of the sequel trilogy.
Between this report, the anticipated upcoming filming on Skellig Michael and the expected casting of Benicio Del Toro, it seems that things are heating up on the news front for the ongoing saga. For the complete story, head to The Wrap.
UPDATE!
Da7e over at Latino Review is reporting that the short list is a bit longer than originally reported. Added to the list above, Da7e says that Jupiter Ascending and Belle actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is also in contention for a role in Episode VIII.
Mbatha-Raw joins Maslany, Cooke, and Rodriguez in the competition for not just one, but apparently two substantial roles in Episode VIII that share the same shortlist of actresses. What the roles are is still unknown, and previous reports of one of these roles being Han Solo’s daughter have not gained any traction since the initial story broke. But it stands to reason that we will be seeing one or possibly two of these four actresses playing an important part in the trilogy as it takes its next step with Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII.
Rooting for Maslany.
My vote (if I had one) would be for Tatiana Maslany too! She has shown herself to be an incredible actress in Orphan Black, as well as capable of handling action scenes. I was bummed when she didn’t get the role for Rogue One (although I love Felicity Jones too), but it will be for the better if she ends up having a major role in the actual ST instead. As for the role itself, it’s significance, or what this could mean for Rey, I’m not even gonna bother trying to speculate when we have pretty much no information at all yet.
Can’t abide her (Maslany) and that “Yah?” she tags onto every sentence.
lol *shudders* but seriously I could not make it through a movie with her unless she played Boba Fett’s daughter in full armor and with no lines of dialogue.
Funny how she just does that for the one character, yah? Almost as if its a character quirk designed to help keep the 5-6 different roles she’s playing against each other at any given point in time distinct, as opposed to a flaw in her acting. Huh…
Just like that, yah? Very annoying, yah? I don’t know, I think her so called great acting consists of a series of wig changes. I’d rather see Vicky Pollard land the role. Yah, but no, but yah, but nooo 😉
My greatest dream is to see Christina Ricci in a Star Wars film… I know, it will never happen.
Tatiana is a fantastic actress. For those who don’t know, “Orphan Black” is a show about clones. Tatiana plays all of the clones, each of which has a very different personality and even different accents. She nails each character. And she switches between characters very fluidly. It’s honestly like several different actresses are playing the roles, but it’s just 1. That show alone should put her as a top contender for any serious acting role.
Even if these movies stink, they are consistently hitting it out of the park in the casting department. Any of these choices would be awesome.
Awesome for what, precisely?
A role in a film, because they’re all talented? Just a guess.
THANK YOU! For saying what a lot of people are thinking.
We already have those movies and you can re-watch them any time you want. These are different ones.
Women make up half the population and have every right to be in Star Wars, the same as they do in any other franchise. Please, step outside of your comfort zone and stop blaming Hollywood for your problems.
I’m just looking for well written characters… im not concerned with too many “bitches”. grow up.
If it’s an action part, Maslany would seem to be the best choice. That’s if the information is indeed true, and not forgetting that there may be others auditioning for the part also. Wait and see, I think.
So, what happened to Rey?
Force ghost?
Wasn’t Rey said to have signed on for VII-IX?
Exactly!
That report was incorrect, but don’t worry she will be back regardless.
Just because they added Lando in V didn’t mean Han had to die
^except in these kinds of films it’s rare to find two young female characters talk to each other, let alone star in leading roles.
It’s not that she’s going to be a main character, though. it’s that she’s called “the female lead” when that title went to Rey in the first film.
Nothing i suppose.
I guess whoever they will cast out of the three will be the “Lando” of the new trilogy, hopefully. I don’t want them killing off any of the main 3 in the first movie!
Rey has been training with Luke… Finn is helping out the Resistance with whoever this newcomer is.
She will turn to the dark side
So Rey is off training with Luke while Finn and whoever this is do whatever they are doing. Episode 7 similar to 4 and 8 will have similar beats to 5 maybe?
I love this short list, but I don’t want any of them to take the focus off Finn+Rey. Friendship or otherwise. 🙁
I want to see a white guy hook up with a black girl for once.
Me, too. I love seeing that.
i dunno……. maybe make it a bit adult and give it a 15 cert here in the UK.
Some tattoonie swear words, Lots of blood and guts and maybe some titty action between Finn and a love interest – if shes an alien – maybe like the chick out the first total recall film – TTT 🙂
“There are so many holes in the “Star Wars should be white-male-dominated” arguments that it’s hard to keep track of them.”
If this argument is so flawed then why are we even here to begin with? Luke Skywalker played by Mark Hamill wasn’t a woman. And people loved him.
Because White male leads are what most audience members connect the most with. Including women and minorities. And if this statement isn’t true, then again, what are we even doing here?
What’s flawed is the notion that you can replace the White male lead with a woman and a minority and expect that’s it’s still going to generate the same kind of enthusiasm.
It won’t. Disney is making a gigantic mistake. And if this isn’t obvious already, just wait until December, when Robert Iger’s mother-of-all-screw-ups is on full display for the entire world to see.
LOL. Yeah, when Star Wars is raking in $500 million domestically minimum for every film I am sure they will recognize their folly.
Coming from a WHITE guy, and I mean WASP all the way (except now atheist), there is no issue at all adding more non-white males. If someones opinions on the greatest saga of all time diminish because they add more women and non-whites,
I can speak for all other fans when I say “don’t let the door hit ya on the way out.”
“I can speak for all other fans when I say “don’t let the door hit ya on the way out.”
Correction, you speak for a minority of rapid SJW’s who are using Star Wars to advance radical leftist causes.
The majority, ie those of us who are sane, liked Star Wars the way that it was.
Which contrary to the whiny and thoroughly annoying SJW’s was an inclusive film….that had “strong” women (Leia, Mon Mothma) and Billy Dee Williams, who was a lot more than just a token black guy.
There’s an old saying “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Yet Disney is going all-out to “fix” the “problems” in the franchise…
@ ted striker:
“Correction, you speak for a minority of rapid SJW’s who are using Star Wars to advance radical leftist causes.”
We’re not all white men, and America and the world are diverse places, so excuse us if we’re a little tired of seeing whitewashed films filled with white male heroes who keep on having to be the ones to save the day.
It’s not all about you. Get over yourselves.
“Which contrary to the whiny and thoroughly annoying SJW’s was an inclusive film….that had “strong” women (Leia, Mon Mothma) and Billy Dee Williams, who was a lot more than just a token black guy.”
Umm, we’re not the ones whining about Star Wars being anti-white male.
“The majority, ie those of us who are sane, liked Star Wars the way that it was.”
Exactly – the way it WAS. This ain’t 1983. White men don’t rule Star Wars anymore. ANYONE can be the hero now. Deal.
Also, just because Leia and Lando were great characters doesn’t excuse the fact that they were tokens in a galaxy of white men. A handful of female and minority extras don’t count because they’re mostly there in the background, while the white men drive the story.
Not anymore. 🙂
“There’s an old saying “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” ”
Did you say that back in 1980 when Lucas added Lando Calrissian?
OT fans are going to be whining very loud this christmas. Not only does it look like Rey will be the hero , but there will probably be not as much Luke Skywalker as they are expecting. I’m going to need ear plugs.
Ted and company:
Prepare to have your collective egos deflated when this diverse film knocks every white male-dominated one out of the water.
Not only is it looking to be a great film, it’s surprisingly inclusive, contrary to the norm in Hollywood.
Sorry, losers. You don’t need a white male hero to sell a movie, especially in Star Wars.
There are plenty of movies I can direct you to for that. Albeit the plot apparently HAS to revolve on an interracial relationship existing, those are just too crazy apparently.
But outside of that I got you don’t worry 😉
“I want to see a white guy hook up with a black girl for once.”
You mean like George Lucas did?
“I want to see a white guy hook up with a black girl for once.”
“You mean like George Lucas did?”
Yup. Art imitates life. 🙂
I want an Irish man (me being Irish) to hook up with an Asian looking girl (Asian girls are the hottest females in the galaxy) in Star Wars. Well sorta, the man having nn Irish accent, after all their is no Ireland yet, because it’s a long time ago and far away.
lol, good one. True, Asian women are fine.
“White men don’t rule Star Wars anymore. ANYONE can be the hero now. Deal.”
What an insane marketing strategy by Disney, considering White males are Star Wars core audience.
YOu know, the ones who actually pay for shit.
Robert Iger via hologram: “JJ, I’ve got a brilliant idea for re-energizing the franchise…lets marginalize, exclude, and generally piss off Star Wars core fan-base.”
JJ: “Yes my master. *bows*”
Disney’s clearly expanding Star Wars’ fanbase. White men won’t always be the dominant group. Most Americans and people in general aren’t white men.
Notice how the vast majority of Star Wars fans aren’t bothered at all by the diversity in TFA. Not even whiners like you are calling for massive boycotts.
So go ahead and stomp around all you want. I’ll see you in line. 😛
actually, most characters in VII are white males so they can hardly be “marginalized” as you say. And you have yet to give a reason why women should not be a hero in a star wars film. The whole world does not revolve around your manliness or your sausage dick.
“White men won’t always be the dominant group.”
LOL…even if Whites were to become a minority in the United States, they would still dominate just like they do in Latin America.
For example, who do you think owns the majority of land in Brazil? Mestizos? It’s Whites.
You can wish upon a star, but we’re not going anywhere, and we will continue to dominate whether you like it or not.
Get used to it. =)
I’m more worried that we’ll have a new love triangle with Finn + Rey + New Girl. If Rey is indeed training with Luke (shades of Ep. V) than it’s a moot point anyways.
There is no news
Cheer up mate.
Darth Glum!
so nice, we are ALREADY getting ep.8 news/rumours & ep.7 is maybe not even finished in post 🙂 😀
So, besides everything else, there’s a possibility Han Solo could’ve also spent time with a hot Latina and had a kid with her?
So is this confirmation of the whole “solo daughter in episode 8” rumor? To me this suggests that Rey is a skywalker. Although if true its going to be weird having so many force sensitive main characters. Perhaps the solo twins/child takes more from her father’s side and sticks to her trusty blaster.
If Rey and Finn are both Jedi I’m guessing this character won’t be.
I’m thinking that Leia isn’t the mother of this new character.
If this is the Solo daughter then Olivia Cook is the only ethnically correct choice(Don’t think I am being racist, just factual). They’re all around 30 so it would be correct from that stance.
I still believe that we will be left to think that Han has died but he & Finn will be taken by Ren and Luke, Chewie & Rey will come to break them out but not before finding Solo’s daughter to protect her from this new threat.
I bet this is the Finn love interest as Rey apparently will favour Poe
Its about looking and analyzing closely, and deciding which one of the three women actors above could succesfully play the daughter of Darth Plagueis. Which is the role they will casting for in episode 8.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF00NzqcEUo
VOLDEMORT ……….. Or is it LOBOT
Any rumors about Kyle Katarn being a character in episode 8?
Pls pls pls include Kyke Katarn.
thx.
No
Yes!
Kyla Katarn
Haha, I see what you did there. WTF, are you 15? Go away, Troll.
It’s so weird to think that in the OT we had Leia… and erm…. yeah pretty much just Leia and a few background female actors, and now we’re getting a ton of lead characters being female.
I’m very happy about this, it’s great news and I know I can’t wait for at least some Rey lightsabre/staff fights.
Any misogynists can surely console themselves with the fact they have lightsabers AND eye candy, lol.
If they made a star wars film with all female cast that would be perfectly fine. As long as its a good story and it has plenty of appeal. I would have no complaints.
The same logic applies on the flip side. If a character cast happened to be ALL male, yet it was a good story, again i’d have no complaints. But there would be many SJWs and the like who still insist on fairer ratios or equal representation or some other stupid political correctness thing. To all those people i say, go and watch a chick flick instead…
yeah I’m sure you’d have no problem with an all-male cast. All the sexists who frequent this site agree too; they are still foaming at the mouth because Felicity Jones is going to be the lead in Rogue One.
Would you have a problem with an all female cast?
Still completely missing the point – it’s the fact it is a directive to have female leads which is wrong. Why not Chinese Midgets?
an all female cast? U sure? In an action sci-fi movie? So u wouldn’t mind a all female construction team to work on ur house or an all female elite squad in the army. NO NO NO.
If it’s a good story then why not?
Its not very likely that a scifi movie with an all female cast would be any good.but if it was, then fantastic.
Lol, agreed on all points. I just want a good story. If it is somehow good despite a single race/gender being represented, then awesome!
That said, the likelihood of me enjoying an all-one-gender movie is pretty low.
Are they replacing Daisy? I’m confused…
They aren’t, there is more than one female in the galaxy
I know but you don’t think two female “leads” that almost look the same and be the same age will be strange?
They don’t seem all that similar.
Gina Rodriguez: 31, 5’3”
Olivia Cookie: 21, 5’5”
Tatiana Maslang: 29, 5’4”
Daisy Ridley Ridley: 23, 5’7”
Yeah, I’m not really seeing her getting replaced by any of these ladies.
Remember what happened to Jake Loyd?
You mean his role in Star Wars or his career?
HAAAA! Exactly!
I thought Jake lloyd was awesome, they way he interacted with his eventual love interest was real good
That guy got arrested
Jake Lloyd was way too young to have played Anakin at the age he needed to be to keep playing the character. I don’t think there will be any extensive time skips in the ST.
I’m glad there are going to be more women in this franchise. Apart from Leia and Rey all we’ve gotten so far is a CG performance capture puppet and a chrome tin can with no face.
But having more than one male hero is not strange?
What about Captain Phasma?
Ugh! Maslany is the only one with any talent in the bunch.
Tatiana Maslany could not play Leia’s daughter. Just saying.
That depends on the father. Just saying. 😉
Or it can be a completely different person.
Just sayin’
well i think, the Han isn’t the dad to any of them. (maybe kylo ren)
Its gonna come out that Finn is Leia’s daughter – Lando had his wicked way… and Finn was the end product – this is why Han buggered off away from Leia – he couldn’t handle her cheating or her previous incestual ways
just said….
K. First of all, Han and Luke are not the fathers of the whole galaxy.
If they made a star wars film with all female cast that would be perfectly fine. As long as its a good story and it has plenty of appeal. I would have no complaints.
The same logic applies on the flip side. If a character cast happened to be ALL male, yet it was a good story, again i’d have no complaints. But there would be many SJWs and the like who still insist on fairer ratios or equal representation or some other stupid political correctness thing. To all those people i say, go and watch a chick flick instead…
1. You conveniently ignore all the manchildren who would rise up and slay Disney for casting an all-female Star Wars film.
2. Wanting more women in Star Wars doesn’t = chick flick, genius.
1) I dont care about manchildren. They can rise up and slay all they like.
2) tell me, why do we want more women in star wars?
Because girls and women should have more than one or even a small handful of female characters per trilogy to identify with and enjoy, and because fans like me are tired of the sausage fest.
Leia and other female characters prove that women can work well in this franchise. Like it or not, it’s happening.
This is completely fine with me. Im happy with that.
Personally, id like to see a Mara Jade film. That would be epic.
I’m all for more women and diversity in Star Wars, it makes the universe seem alive and real. However I don’t like the modern notion that people have to be the EXACT race/gender/sexuality of you for you to identify with them. I am a white male and I can identify fine with riply in aliens, or the Disney princesses, or Sam Jackson in all his awesome movies. I think equal representation is fair and makes movies reflect reality, but kids shouldn’t be taught to only look up to or see themselves in people who look like they do. Its more important to have a diversity of ideals and imagination then to make a checklist of every kind of person.
Now all that said…people are seriously over-reacting. This is the ONE more female character and people are freaking out! The original trilogy had one underused female character! The diversity can only help Star Wars!
I’m a black guy who deeply identified with Han, Luke and Leia. That said, Hollywood has a terrible history of greatly under-representing women and people of color. White men still rule Hollywood in 2015 despite only making up 1/3 America’s population.
“I think equal representation is fair and makes movies reflect reality, but kids shouldn’t be taught to only look up to or see themselves in people who look like they do.”
The best way to do this is to show a wide range of heroes covering all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and genders. The message will soon become clear that what matters is our character – and nothing else.
“sausage fest”? Hypocrite.
I wish all you manchildren will slay people… then the cops will arrest you and you’ll all be locked up for life in federal prison.
Personally I’d like to see a star wars with most/all the cast female… I know, bash me all you like for being “wrong.”
“I wish all you manchildren will slay people… then the cops will arrest you and you’ll all be locked up for life in federal prison.”
So, you are advocating murder just so you can feel satisfied that these manchildren that you despise so much will end up in jail. Nice.
All three of these actresses could convincingly portray a daughter of Benicio Del Toro. Just saying…
Chemistry tests with John Boyega? Finn’s love interest perhaps?
or sister – different dads
Yes! Maslany can definitely pull off a villain. In fact, she’s proved that she can pull off villain-type characters of different kinds: in “Orphan Black”, she’s portrayed the psychotically violent Helena; and the controlled, manipulative Rachel. Despite this, Maslany is also a relatively fresh face: she’s starred in a series with a strong cult following, but she’s not widely known. Genre films need more first-class actors like her!
If this is a casting for Han and Leia’s daughter Tatiana Maslany or Olivia Cooke would fit. Gina Rodriguez if she’s Han’s daughter from another woman.
If they are not casting a Solo… I like Leia, Padme and I’m looking forward to Rey and Felicity Jones’ character, but I’d rather they cast a redhead or an asian woman instead of another brunette. Karen Gillan or Zhang Ziyi would be great in Star Wars.
Well, there is Christina Chong and Jessica Henwick in TFA. It’s a start.
Rodriguez, Maslany, Cooke – FMK.
GO!
I really am starting to wonder if all these SJWs are really Star Wars fans or just using it’s popularity to promote their cause.
Calling the previous movies a “sausage fest” with all the vitriol one can muster in words sounds less like a passionate critique and more like pure hatred.
Boo hoo. Maybe this will help you think better next time you use derogatory terms like “chick flick” and bash movies that have more than one female character as a love interest.
With that said, all Star Wars films are “sausage fests.”
Thank you for proving my point.
Hey, Retro. Has it occurred to you that someone can be a Star Wars fan AND want the franchise to reflect 21st Century diversity?
Shocking, I know…
Absolutely. But then it also occurs to me that if someone really does love those movies then how could they write so passionately about them being so offensive? Like the only good thing they did was have Leia in them?
It is possible to like something and still recognize its flaws. Nuanced opinions. They exist.
21st century diversity? Good grief. Do you view all entertainment through the lens of politics?
No true fan of Star Wars would call the movies “sausage fests”
I’m sorry, what Star Wars rule book do you refer to?
Its called reality.
You cannot call yourself a fan of a movie you hate because it wasnt written with your preferences in mind.
Hey Retrotek, are you by any chance running for the GOP Presidential Race? Next you’re going to call us “dumb dumbs.”
I would never call you dumb or stupid either for that matter. But really, what does the presidential race have to do with Star Wars unless politics is really what you are more interested in.
“Calling the previous movies a “sausage fest” with all the vitriol one can muster in words sounds less like a passionate critique and more like pure hatred.”
Wow, Retro. I’m disappointed in your response. You added the vitriol – not me.
I was simply referencing Star Wars’ long history of greatly under-representing women. But I guess stating the facts is suddenly a personal and hateful attack on men/masculinity, right?
“greatly under-representing women”
You do realise that Star Wars is fantasy and not reality? Fantasy doesnt need to equally represent anything.
If we start making this fantasy “more realistic”, then start off by removing lightsabers, sounds in the vacuum of space and the force.
A fantasy that represents the sexist and racist biases of Hollywood and to a larger extent Western Culture because it was MADE IN THE REAL WORLD AND HAS REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES VIA THE ATTITUDES IT CONVEYS TO IT’S VIEWERS. Is that so freaking hard to understand?
“MADE IN THE REAL WORLD AND HAS REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES VIA THE ATTITUDES IT CONVEYS TO IT’S VIEWERS.”
Attitudes and things like wars, killing, explosions and weapons and death, jealousy, sadness, loss and lots of other negative things.
Lets remove these things from Star Wars first so we can give more positive attitudes to viewers.
Is that freaking hard to understand?
Are you even listening to yourself? The purpose of a story IS the conflict. Otherwise there is no story. Those concepts are representative of the real world, just like the newly more-inclusive demographic in the films.
OK Jerec, if Star Wars iis not grounded in ay kind of reality, then will you not cry and scream if Disney decided to cast all the actors as female?
What, according to your logic, SWi is a FANTASY world?
I’d like to see a white girl hook up with a black girl. Now THAT is Star Wars I’d like to see.
Someday. :’)
to hell with that….. that’s bad.
what i really want to see is a tripod on 3PIO – or a few oily sockets? – some droid on droid action. Imagine the noises R2 could make…..
just said…
Well, C-3P0 did seem jealous when R2D2 “communicated” with Bespin City’s Central Computer.
The day Star Wars dies.
Tatiana Maslany has proven on “Orphan Black” that she can “bring it!” She would be my top choice. She has talent, range, everything you need for SW. She can show strength, vulnerability, power, wit and uber crazy. Love her!
Seriously though. She could be playing a daughter of Snoke?
Snoke ive heard in the rumour mills is someone of the “far-outsiders” , a new race does this mean anything to anybody?
Snoke is like the old Sith Emperor Vitatae (sp) but not Sith if the origins of the Dark Side story and Knights of Ren thing holds true.
What if this new female character is the canon interpretation of a Mara Jade type character? In the OT, we had the Han and Leia pairing and Luke ended up not having a love interest in the films mainly I think to focus on his relationship with his father. It wasn’t until after ROTJ that Luke meets his match. I have a strong suspicion they will keep Luke single in TFA in an effort to mirror Obi-Wan. Maybe Finn, the new Luke Type will meet his MJ in VIII while we get a relationship dynamic similar to that of Han and Leia with Rey and Poe eventually. The chemistry read rumour with Boyega is certainly interesting.
No thanks. One love story per trilogy is enough. Keep the focus on action/adventure.
It doesn’t have to be a “love story”. You can have back and forth flirtatious banter with a couple characters or even deepen the meaning of the relationship like with Han and Leia at the end of Empire without getting all Nicholas Sparks or anything. In the original EU, Mara Jade hated Luke at first. It was several years until they actually began a romantic relationship. You can have a similar type of scenario in the film and create the romantic tension without ever going to the place where you have to say things like “No…It’s because I’m so in love with YOU…” or have a character give a discourse about how he hate’s sand while creepily stroking another’s shoulder. I’d take two relationships handled as well as Han and Leia over one cheesy “Anime” relationship…
That was my first impression when they mentioned screen testing with John Boyega. In Episode 8 he will be tempted by the poon side. Jokes aside, if the new female lead is a sibling of Rey or daughter of Solo. That will definitely complicate things. The goal is for lucasfilm to create stories that are unpredictable.
hmm could Captain Phasma chick end up Lukes love interest (Mara Jade) when she eventually relinquishes her baddy persona , after Leia giving him little man syndrome for being “a little short to be a Stormtrooper”, he now likes them young and tall 🙂
Have a feeling Rey is Leia or Han’s daughter, not both of theirs.
Something I recently heard from someone working at Disney:
Many things we seem to know about the movie are wrong or seen from a wrong angle.
Rey is indeed going to train with Luke, but not as you may think.
Rey is brought by Kylo Ren to his master who is none other than Luke. Rey is giving in to the Dark Side as Luke is her father and it is her story about redeeming herself and destroying the Dark Side from the inside in the next two movies.
Finn, Dameron and HAN’S DAUGHTER are trying to rescue her.
This may be complete bullshit but I thought it to be an interesting rumour.
Having great time on this site while reading SJW’s comments. Still the same, cry more or grow up!
Curious comment. It’s not those who enjoy diverse casts that are doing the crying.
I absolutely hate the hypocritical Social Justice movement, and I can safely tell you that this simply isn’t part of it. One can simply add characters that make a setting more inclusive without selling out to an insane political movement.
What’s ironic about your comment is that the only people who are sore are the ones who keep complaining that Disney is going to ruin the franchise by adding one woman to what will inevitably and invariably be an ensemble cast.
New female lead? I thought Rey had that role? Why can’t they focus on the big three? Just from seeing the interviews and following their instagram accounts John Boyega and Daisy Ridley seem to have great chemistry.
And Poe continues to seem less and less important
I want more Alien and Droid diversity in SW.
When do I want it?
Well that would be now!
Personally I couldn’t give two hoots about humans whatever their race or sex,gimmie bounty hunter droids,new baddies with cool helmets and weird crazy Alien species not forgetting all the speeders/ships.
I look forward to the day when we can watch a live action,human free Star Wars film.
And yes I am being serious.
Edit..why is my comment up here,I wasn’t replying to anyone?
I think the constant need for spoilers is making everyone crazy and setting the movie up to be a letdown. Some people will be upset if the spoilers are true some will be upset if they’re not. The bad part of keeping everything a secret is the buildup in your mind may seem better than the actual story.
Lando’s daughter!
There are so many holes in the “Star Wars should be white-male-dominated” arguments that it’s hard to keep track of them. The problem is a vocal minority is too stupid to understand that diversity in casting can be organic, not simply corporate-mandated “social justice”. They’re too blinded by their own hatred to see what’s wrong with their misogynistic and racist views.
I don’t want to see love story again in SW, it’s so distracting from main story . I hope those actress will turn into Sith Witch and torment Finn.
dp
Honestly! They Are throwing in women in almost all the main leads.. As if they Are making up for the lack of them in ep 4-6. Strangely i don’t feel ok with it.. It just seems too Political Correct..
I vote for Clarke. She was amazing in The Dying Girl. Very good conveyer of emotion and even bald and sick was still pretty.
Seriously; Require registration for these message boards already! The bigots are hijacking every discussion.
I think these are healthy discussions about race. It shows that these tensions are real and still very much alive, regardless of the progress people have made towards integrating.
I read an article that said racism is a biological function that protects a person’s tribe. It is a very natural, instinctive reaction to be against people who look totally different than you do. It’s why you see a lot of couples who look like they could be related.
Are white guys on the defensive right now? Yes. But that’s only because the system is changing to promote diversity. If Finn has sex with Rey, the shit is going to hit the fan.
I also notied that they look like slightly older versions of Daisy. Perhaps just to play a more grown-up Rey… perhaps Ep. 8 will be several years later who knows?
This comment is so preposterous i thought i’d respond to it a second time:
“A fantasy that represents the sexist and racist biases of Hollywood and to a larger extent Western Culture because it was MADE IN THE REAL WORLD AND HAS REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES VIA THE ATTITUDES IT CONVEYS TO IT’S VIEWERS. Is that so freaking hard to understand?”
regarding the “CONSEQUENCES VIA THE ATTITUDES IT CONVEYS TO IT’S VIEWERS”, in order to present a more positive attitude through Star Wars, i propose the following be removed from the movies:
1) Wars
2) Anger, Jealousy, Sadness, revenge, fear
3) Explosions, battleships, e-11 blaster rifles,
4) anything else that can be negative in the films
And regarding “THE REAL WORLD”, i propose we remove the following from Star Wars to reflect “THE REAL WORD”
1) lightsabers
2) The Force (dark side and light side)
3) sounds in the vacuum of space
4) hyperspace, greedo, boba fett, midi-chlorians
5) everything else since none of it actually exists.
That way, we can be assured that the movies wont have any negative effects on its viewers, will make the SJWs happy, and viewing will be made easier for those devote fans who didnt like episodes 1-6
So now you’re conflating plot elements from a story with real-world casting decisions that have been inherently biased for nearly a century. Who’s preposterous? Seriously, dude, your paranoia about “PC” revisions to the Star Wars universe is borderline conspiracy theory.
@Anonymous Coward, im sorry but when someone calls my favourite movies of all time:
“A fantasy that represents the sexist and racist biases of Hollywood”
As a fan, i want to speak up. Look i agree that there are many flaws in Star Wars but im not going to cast it aside because it has biased casting. Let alone call it sexist and racist.
The original films where made in a different era to cater to a different audience to ours now. Dont judge these films by 2015ish standards
Wow, I never would have thought there would be so much women hate and sexism on this message board. Just, wow.
If rumors are true and Rey is the main protagonist, then we are in for some Phantom Menace-sized bashin this coming december.
John Boyega will be the Jar Jar Binks of this trilogy, I hope he die in Episode 8.
That’d be cool to see the Bates Motel girl.
I am concerned there are too many ‘main characters’ in this thing 3/4/5/6 people – there are probably too many already and they want to add more? Crazy.
None of them looks like Adam Driver’s sister (i.e Han’s daughter assuming Kylo Ren is his son, which is a wild guess of course),
Very good point, only actresses of the same exact age should be allowed to audition for the same role. Hollywood make-up artists are just not up to the task these days of making an actor look +/- 5 years from their age
It would be preferable if they were born on the exact same day, but unfortunately that isn’t always possible. I heard Mary Kate and Ashley Olson are also on the short list.
I love it. THIS JUST IN: Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen to be Jedi Twin Daughters of Luke Skywalker (Double Confirmed)
That would force choke many people in the audience.
I only know Olivia Cooke from Bates Motel, never seen the “Me And Earl” movie. I’m surprised the show wasn’t name-dropped in the article, as I imagine plenty of other folks know her mainly from that. She’s perfectly cast on the show, fits the role of “Emma” to a T. Not sure about SW8 without knowing anything about the character she’d be up for.
Whoops, my post was intended to be a general response to the article, it was not aimed specifically at mabruno.
They’re better off as Twi’lek prostitutes.
You kidding me?? Look at Maslany and Driver pictures side by side. She can easily play his twin and they’re also the same age.
hhhm could be Finn’s love interest
If Finn is going to have a love interest, the less likely it becomes that he wll be a Jedi.
well I dont think that they will be following that rule in the new jedi order, just saying
Hope not. Never was a fan of that.
If Jedism is in the genes, there’s bound to be a severe lack of Jedis in the future. I mean, in the future, a long time ago.
From rumors we’re hearing, Its starting to look like Finn isn’t a Jedi, but hes simply just a badass, who can even handle himself with a Lightsaber. I think hes going to be the do-it-all assertive character while Rey is just the Jedi.
They are casting for the Eighth Sister and the Ninth Sister.
Well I know them from only a single project each… so basing it off that I’m digging Olivia Cooke. Oddly most of the roles like Orphan Black and Jane the Virgin just seem to give them that “known” quantity. If they do get picked I hope their acting chops kick in so much I forget the past.
Hopefully we finally get a badass female dark sider in the movies. And then there can be some chemistry between her and one of the good guys. I also don’t think Finn has the Force (at least I hope not). I hope he just has the lightsaber training as part of his stormtrooper duties.
That could be cool. Maybe even a character who isn’t clear cut good or bad, but more complex.
why do you hope finn dont have the force??? what is so bad about him having the force??
Give the role of Finn’s love interest to Mbatha-Raw. That way people won’t get upset.
They won’t. They will choose Olivia Cooke because she is the most beautiful, which will anger the racists even more.
Yeah maybe you’re right. It’s about as racist as black peoples reactions when directors give the role of the white guys love interests to a black girl. Oh wait. That rarely ever happens.
Oh it happens, it just doest make the headlines. It’s just so much more fun to laugh at white racists.
Because you’re anti-white.
…And you fail to sense the sarcasm in my post.
You silly young people these days love screaming “Thats’s racist” and “That’s sexist” at everything you don’t understand.
Sorry ’bout that. It was so close to leftist pc behavior I couldn’t tell the difference.
Fuck dat, they dont have to appease to the racist douchebags out there, let them get mad
Gugu and Maslany please.
They BOTH belong in this universe. I’ve always pictured Gugu getting a role.. SWEEET. I wonder if we are going to see Ciena? If im not mistaken Gugu was used for inspiration by Claudia Gray for the character and she will be old enough to play the role.
Ciena is supposed to be around the age of Luke and Leia. Gugu is way too young.
Ahh I see. Nvm then. Either way shes a sweet addition to the franchise and I hope its an important role indeed.
I agree. She would make a great addition. She is the right age to play the daughter of Ciena and Thane, so that’s a possibility.
My bet is that Maslany is going to get snubbed from Star Wars the same way she got snubbed from her deserved Emmy three years in a row…. and that’s even more sad because she’s the only actress on this list who can actually act.
I can’t remember any Star Wars heroines who haven’t been brown-eyed brunettes. Don’t get me wrong, I have dark hair myself, but all the women (that I can recall) seem to have the same look.
Because blondes and blue-eyed people make better villains.
According to today’s filmmakers.
Good observation haha. I just think that, if the protagonist IS Luke’s daughter, wouldn’t it make more sense, thematically, for her to look like her father and grandfather, who were the last two protagonists, especially if they really are that hung up on keeping things linear? I understand that Leia is a very popular character, but not every girl in the series has to look like her.
Perhaps Luke’s wife is a brunette with brown eyes.
Olivia Cooke every day of the week
I heard rumors she might be out of the running after she landed the lead in Spielberg’s Ready Player One. Hope not.
Why do they even need another female lead? They have Rey already, Del Toro too? what is going on? I am getting flashbacks to Spiderman 3
Hot rumor is that Rey spends some/most of Episode 8 with Luke on her own journey. It sounds like Galactic civil war erupts in Episode 8 and the focus could very well be on Finns journey. Who knows.
Does anybody really care about Finn’s “journey?”
I know I don’t.
Well good for you buddy
You have not even seen the film yet. Right. Sigh…,
Umm you haven’t even seen the film yet, stop being such a douche, by the way Finn’s journey at the moment sounds the most interesting
Exactly.. His journey sounds fresh. Rey seems to be the one primed for a cookie cutter story, which is alright aslong as the story is good.
You seem to have made up your mind about Finn without knowing much about him or even seeing the movie.
Ted, go to bed.
Everyone else, please don’t feed the trolls.
Oh yes, how dare Lucasfilm make a movie with more than one female lead in it! Oh the horrors!
So we’ll have two female leads? What happened to Rey? is she even in Episode VIII? It will probably make sense once I see Episode VII but right now it’s just too many characters. Unless it’s a bit part, there’s no room for anyone else. We have Finn, Rey, Phasma, Hux, Poe, C-3P0, R2D2, Luke, Han, Chewy, Liea, BB8, Kylo, Kanata, Snoke, etc. There is a point when it is just too many characters.
Obviously not all of them will survive Episode VII. I’d say 2 of them die.
Dude. The 1950’s are calling you, they want their patriarchal values back.
I am always misunderstood. I am not upset at the fact there are going to be female leads, I am upset because a film with several main characters and villains is always bad: Spiderman 3, Amazing Spiderman 2, Xmen 3, etc. Each film had too many characters, and not enough focus. I am probably wrong but why? Are they really going to kill Rey off? A lead means MAIN CHARACTER. I thought our leads would be established in Episode VII and stick with them like the OT did.
Good grief, another female lead!?
Disney’s feminizing the shit outta the GFFA.
Star Wars needs to be renamed Vagina Wars!
Getting that Supergirl 2 feeling, oh yeah, no doubt about it….
dude they didn’t say she is THE main character, she is just another supporting lead like lando in episodes 5 and 6
I know, right? I mean there’s already far too many FEMALES in these films to keep track of – I mean you’ve got Daisy Ridley, and…and…just far too many to count…
It sounds like they’re giving JB a girlfriend or sister in the next film and — shit! I DON’T WANT TO KNOW THIS! I need to wait a year… i need to wait a year…
Finn get the girl meaning Rey won’t get the boy ?
Who knows, could be a love triangle. Hell I thought Luke was going to get the girl. Then the girl turned out to be his sister.
When I was a kid, I didn’t think much of Leia ending up with Han. Now that I’m older and have watched the movies with greater attention, it seems pretty clear that she was originally going to be paired up with Luke. I think it all came down to whether or not Harrison Ford was going to come back for the third movie, which is probably why they showed Leia still kissing Luke at the end of Empire, in order to keep that option open. Once it was certain that Han would still be part of the story, I think they just made Luke and Leia twins in order to create a quick resolution to the pseudo-love triangle. (And honestly, I enjoyed Leia’s scenes with Luke much more than her scenes with Han).
or Rey could just be with Poe
It’s difficult to make a guess here because we don’t even know for sure whose daughter Rey is. If Rey is a Solo, would Han have ANOTHER daughter.
Any way, here’s my guess: Han is Rey’s daddy, and this new character is a new character unrelated to the Skywalkers and Solos. There is a room in the galaxy!
I would LOVE it if Gugu Mbatha-Raw were to play Lando’s daughter. Yes, there’s no need for new characters to be related to the old, but I would enjoy seeing Lando’s lineage as much as we are expecting the Skywalker/Solo lineage to continue.
Agreed. I know people will say “Oh the black person is related to Windu or Lando!” but does that mean we have to pretend a guy like Lando never had kids? Episode 8 would be the perfect time to introduce a kid if he has one.
I can totally see Maslany playing Adam Drivers twin sister! They are nearly at the same age and the facial features match up.
That would be a nice way to use the Solo Twins, and then Rey would be Lukes daughter
what if it is just a completely new character like Finn, I don’t see why everyone is assuming this is Han’s kid or something
It’s an assumption but it’s not baseless. People are assuming because the only rumor attach to the story is that the role is for Han Solo’s daughter. No different than everyone betting the house that Rey is a Solo just cause of the EU.
Han Solo’s daughter, cough- Daisy Ridley- cough.
Would welcome any of the above actresses also being a Solo daughter. After all, it’s a big galaxy.
then why is she on Jakku as a scavenger?? I don’t think Han and Leia are that stupid as parents
Jakku has a lower cost of living, more job opportunities, year round sunshine.
All rumors ofcourse, but Rey is rumored to be around 17 or 18 in TFA which is also the same number of years Luke is said to be in “exile” (alot of rumors state Luke wasnt gone for 30 years) IMO all signs point to her being Lukes kid.
1. Why has Luke chosen to live an isolated life away from his daughter? Makes little sense to me.
2. The Mark Hamill “The Force is strong in my family” voiceover in the 2nd teaser trailer. He mentions his father, his sister and himself. If this dialogue makes it into the final movie, I believe he would have said “My father has it, I have it, my sister has it, and you my daughter has it too”. Believe there is significance in his reference to Rey as you and not daughter, meaning it’s not his daughter.
That’s my belief leading in to the official trailer release.
1. The scene showing Luke in the latest teaser is rumored to be the flashback scene where Luke goes back to his academy and finds it burnt, he could have presumed his wife and child dead because all he would see is burnt bodies laying around.
2. That was Lukes quote when he was talking to Leia at the end of Return of the Jedi. Don’t read into that narration too much. The prequels had narrations from Alec Guinness in their trailers that were nothing more than fan service to get everyone hyped. Rogue One even had it in their teaser. It probably doesn’t mean anyting and only serves to set the tone of the new film which is about “family”
I agree about the red herrings. I think Rey being Han and Leia’s daughter would be the red herring, because that was the first rumor that surfaced since casting was announced and the picture was released with Ridley sitting next to Fisher. I agree on the Finn part.
See that’s a little too flimsy. In A New Hope, Luke finds his Uncle and Aunt burnt to a crisp, he sensed their demise before getting back to their family home, but he gets closure, as he identifies their bodies. Struggling to believe in TFA that he doesn’t bother to identify the charred remains of his wife and daughter. Also, both Rey and he are strong in the Force, surely he would sense whether she was still alive or not.
Maybe the forthcoming trailer will change my belief.
Who knows. I just feel like theres more to suggest that shes the child of Luke instead of Han and Leia. Whenever I ask someone what makes them think shes Hans daughter everyones response is something like “eh… well in the EU..” The hot rumor for a year was that she was Hans little girl. The rumor of her being Luke’s daughter just got hot a week ago.
I agree. I can’t wait for a trailer to come out and for all of us to look silly when things are more clear lol
Agreed. Don’t mind been made to look silly. Half the fun is discussing the movie with like minded fans before its release.
I completely agree with you about the “you have that power too” line. It’s taken straight from RotJ; even the tone inflection is exactly the same. I think the whole purpose of it is just to get us really excited about a new chapter of this series opening, with new Jedi.
While there certainly is some reason to believe that Rey is Luke’s daughter, I almost feel like the information leaked from “sources” regarding this is just to throw the audience off, much like with Benedict Cumberbatch playing Khan in Star Trek. I did hear one rumor (probably fake) that Rey might be related to an imperial lord, which I think would be one heck of a twist.
#1: The knights of Ren destroy his Jedi academy and kill his students and his wife. He takes his daughter to Jakku to be raised by Max Von Sydow’s character where she gets the nickname REY to hide her identity and Luke goes into Exile to protect her.
So why don’t the Knights of Ren just go after Luke? If Luke’s hiding place is so secret and secure why didn’t he take his daughter with him?
Whether she is Leia’s child or Luke’s child it is likely that she was intentionally hidden on Jakku, and someone is watching over her even if she isn’t aware of that fact.
Sounds a bit like Luke’s situation in ANH does it not?
there could be a lot of solos in the galaxy….it would make sense
For sure man.
George Lucas said Episode 7 was going to be about Luke’s offspring before the big three were even announced officially.Just like he announced the big three before it was ever announced….Even Mark Hamill said this trilogy was going to be about “their” offspring..it is funny that people are still having debates over this, even though it was already said before the cast was ever announced.There is going to be Solo AND Skywalker children in this trilogy..
People still have debates because the movie hasn’t been released yet. Funny that.
It doesn’t make sense for one of these to actress’s to be an offspring of main characters from the OT. Especially Han or Luke. If that were the case, then why wouldn’t they be introduced in TFA. For its a still a story about the Skywalkers (which has been confirmed) then it doesn’t make sense to say of yeah Rey is my daughter but guess what? There’s another but we won’t show you in this movie. I obviously could be wrong but this doesn’t make much sense.
It does if your mind isn’t caught up in the EU. People who wanted to see the Jaina and Jacen storyline saw Rey and automatically thought “Oh it’s Han and Leias kid” when recent rumors seem to suggest shes not a solo.. Shes Lukes kid.
As far as Hans daughter being introduced in Episode 8? Sure it makes sense, If you believe recent rumors about the state of the galaxy going into the movie. The Resistance and The Republic are two different factions and the First Order has a peace treaty with the First Order. Word is this movie only focuses on Resistance vs First Order because the Republic wont see the First Order as a threat till after the events of TFA. Hans daughter could very well be involved with the Republic, which wont get involved till Episode 8.
Nooo! They fixed the goggle! D=
Olivia Cooke would work
Better her than Olivia Munn who is guaranteed to ruin Apocalypse.
Instead of talking about who Finn’s love interest in Episode 8 should be, lets talk about ways that he can get Jar-Jar’d.
That is, relegated to obscurity due to being a poorly received and generally unliked character.
This sounds like a far more interesting topic to discuss, so please, lets talk about it.
I think hes going to be the fan favorite going in, and coming out of the movie. Rey is going to have to WOW me (which I hope she does) because in an effort to trick us and misdirect, they promoted the crap out of Finn and are presenting him as nothing short of a badass, while Rey is just in the background. Doesnt hurt that Boyega is a good freaking actor
JAR JAR’d???? you sound like you want that to happen, nothing so far has made me think that he would be jar jar’d in fact in my area I see all the kids buying Finn costumes I ain’t seen no girls in my area wearing Rey costumes yet , besides this is her first movie so if I was you I would be worried about her more, Boyega was able to act alongside great actors like chiwetel ejiofor and thandie newton so dont worry about him his character is in good hands
I have this Ted NewGent’s card marked. I’ve been watching the types of comments he’s been making, and it’s only because he has to declare some sort of identity on Disqus that he’s been tempering his points to an extent, but I can see his true agenda seeping through.
Tatiana Maslany should get the role she terrific in Orphan Black
She’s definitely the best of all the actresses listed here.
What’s with these people who are anti women? What’s wrong with you? Calm the fuck down. Women are great, I’m married to one and my mother is one. Why do you have a problem with them? You immature dick heads.
They are afraid of losing the advantages that being born male has given them.
By having Finn end up with Han’s daughter, It would be one way to make him part of the Solo-Skywalker family.
Exactly. When the rumors came out that he will pick his own identity I just thought up a scenario where Finn gets attached to them and they become his family. Disney loves orphans, and he might decide to take on the name especially if he gets involved with the family. He doesn’t have a surname so he would naturally take his wifes surname (I’m 100% confident Hans daughter comes out in Episode 8 and is Finns love interest)
My only concern is how Finn is the probable new Han, Because if Han’s daughter is anything like Jaina then she’ll out-Han her Dad and it might be a bit much. Unless they make her straight laced like Leia sort of was but that’s just retrearding the OT. I think why Harrison and Carrie work so well together is their verbal friction vs the boring dime store dialogue of Anakin and Padme. So I’m hoping Finn is really a straight arrow military type like Jagged so they can make Han’s daughter the rebellious one which would make for an interesting couple onscreen. Though that might also sound like Rey and Poe’s potential relationship as well.
I’m concerned about all the new roles they seem to be casting. So that means Episode VII’s cast won’t be enduring? I don’t know, at times it feels like replacing the ENTIRE cast. Not sure you need THAT many new characters.