‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Casts Female Stormtrooper
A new rumor has surfaced regarding The Force Awakens and if true, it seems that the Empire has become an equal opportunity employer as word of a female stormtrooper makes its way around the internet.
When we first got word that a new Star Wars movie was in the works, the Internet went into a frenzy that has yet to let up. Along with the news came a flood of rumors and half baked information about plot details and casting. Some of it, such as the return of the original cast, has panned out, while others were cast aside. Still, we crave any tidbit of information and this is no exception.
As with most leaked information regarding Star Wars: The Force Awakens, this needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but BBC reporter Lizo Mzimba gave us some tantalizing tweets.
If true, there will be no shortage of controversy and nerd rage. A while back, The Force Awakens revealed actor John Boyega in a storm trooper outfit. This alone was enough to cause quite a stir, as a number of fans were not happy with a black stormtrooper, to which John Boyega issued his own tweet telling the haters to “get used to it.”
Just imagine the waves a female stormtrooper will cause? Women in prominent roles are nothing new in the Star Wars universe, but we have yet to see a strong woman in the Empire, much less an Imperial officer or soldier. If this news is correct, we will have two, as Game of Thrones actor Gwendoline Christy is reported to play a high ranking officer in the Empire. Which brings us to Mzimba’s next tweet.
Wonder if Stormtrooper in own right, or perhaps a filming double if, as rumoured, @loveGwendoline plays a stormtrooper in Ep VII.
— lizo mzimba (@lizo_mzimba) January 16, 2015
The actress in question is Amybeth Hargreaves, who has a relatively sparse resume. However, it is not unheard of for a film like The Force Awakens to cast a few unknown actors. In fact, it may lend to the feeling of a new chapter being written in the saga to have some unfamiliar faces fill out the roles.
As the tweets suggests, Hargreaves may simply be a stunt double for Christie, but it would be far more interesting to see her as a soldier herself. In either case, it would be in keeping with the casting choices so far, as we have three women already as major characters. Gwendoline Christie, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o are all playing significant roles and, as the Mirror reports, The Force Awakens has been sure to cast a diverse range of actors.
If indeed Hargreaves is a stormtrooper and not a double for Christie, it would further indicate that what remains of the Empire is no longer relying on clone troopers, but perhaps recruiting form all walks of life. However, this new acceptance of diversity does not necessarily bring with it a kinder, gentler Empire.
As the Inquisitrreported earlier, it is evident that with The Force Awakens, Disney is allowing the filmmakers to forge their own path by creating a diverse universe filled with a wide range of characters. To what end, we do not yet know — but we will all be chomping at the bit to find out.
What to you think about the addition of a female stormtrooper?
