Guy's let's cool it with being butt hurt about another female lead in Star Wars, okay?
Here's the thing. Yes, I would be upset if the casting decisions were made in an overt act of affirmative action and having another female lead, along with the diverse characters, didn't make sense for the story. But they weren't just the diversity dream team. Every actor in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was cast brilliantly, and performed their parts amazingly.
I don't believe casting decisions should be based off of anything other than this criteria: a) the talent of the actor and b) the demand of the script. Any other criteria should be ignored when making a casting decision.
And that's exactly what these most current casting decisions (specifically Daisy Ridley as Rey, and Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso) have been. Think about it. Would "Rogue One" have been at all the same movie if everything was the same except for the character of Jyn? If Jyn was a guy instead, it would not have been the same movie– in a bad way. The emotional propellant for the movie was the father-daughter relationship between Jyn and her father, Galen. Would "The Force Awakens" have been the same movie without the headstrong, independent Rey at its helm? No. The entire dynamic of both movies would have been shifted, and I'm not sure they would be quite such strong movies.
I would understand the outrage if the performances weren't anything exceptional, or the characters seemed awkward. But on the contrary, Rey and Jyn are two of the best characters to come around since the original trinity of Luke, Han and Leia. These characters aren't just integral to the Star Wars universe– they are crucial to it. They're not just girls that some exec told the casting director to include for the good press.
Give these talented performers the respect they deserve for their dedication and hard work, and the amazing performances which have resulted. Stop boiling people down to a physical identifier and see beyond your own preconceived notions of how you think things should be.
I just don't understand what people who protest this move are trying to argue for. Would they rather us go back to the Star Wars of 1977 when we're supposed to live in a galaxy full of life forms and diverse people, and yet the only people we ever see are British white dudes? What good does it to for the Star Wars universe to close it off by not writing in more movies that diversify the characters that we see on screen? How can the creators of Star Wars claim to have this ever-expanding universe, but then never expand it?
The beauty of the Star Wars universe has always been its endless possibilities. This is a world with lazers and starships, so why is it so hard to fathom there could be strong badass women? It's not affirmative action, and until I have reason to believe otherwise, I support every casting decision that Disney has made in the last two movies.
So stop being closed-minded, and just let yourself enjoy things.
