Yesterday saw the reveal of the Star Wars: Episode VII – Everyone Made Babies cast, with the Internet at long last making the jump from the vacuum of empty speculation to the hyperspace of writing angry thinkpieces. Specifically, there were those who took issue with the cast’s lack of diversity, wherein the inclusion of John Boyega and relative newcomer Daisy Ridley is hardly reflective of the Star Wars’ universe’s vast, sundry population of about five female characters and maybe two or three black people.
But those early detractors can perhaps be assuaged by The Wrap’s assurances that more casting announcements are coming—likely on May 4, timed for Getting Preemptively Mad About Star Wars Day. And among them is expected to be that major female lead of “mixed race” that’s long been rumored. Again, it’s believed that this character is the descendant of Obi-Wan Kenobi that the Jedi master made with one of the galaxy’s five or so other females, sometime before he died. (Not Mon Mothma, probably.)
As previously reported, British theater actress Maisie Richardson-Sellers is considered one of the contenders for the role, though rumors have also been floated that Lupita Nyong’o might be up for it as well. Of course, it’s also possible that both Sellers and Nyong’o could both be up for different roles as women of color in the Star Wars universe, with each presumably consigned to their own, respective planets. After all, there are lots of planets in Star Wars, and each needs at least one female and/or person of color.
Also noticeably absent from the Episode VII reveal is everyone’s favorite, exceptionally smooth denizen of Cloud City: Lobot. You have four days to #BringBackLobot, J.J. Abrams, lest you face our own angry thinkpiece on your film’s glaring lack of Lobot.