Following the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” one of the most anticipated pieces of entertainment media in the 21st century, I expected stores to start carrying action figures of one of the main characters of the film, the intrepid scavenger Rey.
Instead, I saw nothing but action figures with villain Kylo Ren plastered front and center, and many didn’t even feature Rey at all.
It’s disappointing Hollywood continues to downplay female characters in the promotional materials of its films, even if said female characters are major parts of a film’s story.
Even though “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has been out since December, I’m a firm stickler for spoiler culture so I’m going to start discussing plot points that were featured in the movie from this point onward.
Rey, along with characters Poe Dameron and Finn, is part of a new trilogy of Star Wars films.
What was noteworthy about the characters from the original trilogy is they were all played by white actors and didn’t feature a woman in the role of the hero.
The new trilogy of films, beginning with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” features a trio of performers who are more diverse than the previous casts and also increases the importance of the major female character in the story.
Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe, is Latino and John Boyega, an African-American man, plays Finn.
This brings us to the importance of Rey’s character.
The main woman in each of the previous Star Wars trilogies was not the protagonist of the films she was in.
In The Force Awakens, however, Rey is the main protagonist.
Rey is the character we spend the most time with in the film, as we see her life on the isolated desert world of Jakku as she scavenges old starships for parts. Rey is the one who faces off against the evil Ren in the film’s climax. Rey travels to find Luke Skywalker at the end of the film to bring him back to fight the First Order.
Yet in the early merchandising of the film, one was hard-pressed to find anything resembling a heroic Rey action figure fearlessly clutching a lightsaber.
According to the A.V. Club, this problem has happened before.
When Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2014 and introduced its first line of merchandising from the original trilogy, there were no dolls of Leia that fans could purchase.
Yet every major male character could be found in stores.
It was only after fans pressured Disney on social media that the company finally began offering Leia dolls.
Why exclude female characters from merchandising of Star Wars movies?
I’m sure part of the answer lies in the thinking of marketing executives who believe that boys are the only ones who enjoy Star Wars movies.
If the science fiction future of the Star Wars movies is any indication of anything, however, it’s that women can and will do awesome things in the galaxy.
Leia takes command of Rebel troops several times in the original trilogy, for example, and no male character questions her leadership or battle strategies.
The toys from the Star Wars films should reflect the ambition and accomplishments of its female characters.
After all, is it so difficult to imagine gender equality in a galaxy far, far away?
ttfitzpa@indiana.edu
@tfitzwrites
