The Jedi are respected. The Jedi are feared. The Jedi have been, predominantly, male for practically the entire franchise. There have been a few ladies ready to duel, but they’re often cut-down rather quickly or left nameless in the heat of battle. I, for one, wouldn’t mind a change in seeing the newest trilogy take on a female for a protagonist. If anything, the Cartoon Network show The Clone Wars is proving that a prominent female Jedi works to fantastic effect, so maybe it’s about time we made the switch to live-action.
There are a few folks I left off the list, primarily because they belong to a franchise that is incredibly similar to Star Wars. For the sake of straying from redundancy, I left off names like Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) and Gina Torres (Firefly) and tried to compile a list of names that would be somewhat fresh. A lot of things were taken into consideration for these parts, particularly physique, acting ability, star power, potential, and even if they have the “face” for a Jedi. Sometimes, there are faces that just fit the sci-fi world a bit better than others. They’re often leaner, with larger eyes, etc. etc. I tried to keep in style with the images of lady Jedi that we have through the comic and cartoon medium as well, though I’ll be the first to admit I know next to nothing about the extended universe of Star Wars.
As you check the list out, remember that box-office draw isn’t the majority priority, here. I mean, it’s Star Wars. It could star potatoes and still manage to make a killing at the box office. But let’s say we stop the talk about spuds and get to the ladies?
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12 Comments
no Jennifer Lawrence !!!
No, no Jen Lawrence. As good of an actress as I think she is, I don’t see her as a “Star Wars-y” character almost at all. That, and because she’s already got two major franchises (X-Men, Hunger Games) and because I think she’s someone who’s incredibly over-cast in fan casts, I left her off the list.
katee sackoff. love her acting ability and she is believable as a hard ass too.
good list though
The only prominent female jedi who was in the expanded universe after Return of the Jedi was Mara Jade. She was a former assassin of Emperor Palpatine, became a love interest of Luke Skywalker, eventually the two married, and she was a jedi. Her actor would need to be very lean, (Mara Jade was a freaking badass) red hair (preferably, although you could always dye hair), and be able to play a sort of badass chick type character.
I would love to see Tricia Helfer…as the first woman Sith Lord!
Gina Torres, Stana Katic, Anna Torv, and Marion Cottilard.
No Summer Glau?!
“There are a few folks I left off the list, primarily because they belong to a franchise that is incredibly similar to Star Wars. For the sake of straying from redundancy, I left off names like Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) and Gina Torres (Firefly) and tried to compile a list of names that would be somewhat fresh.”
OK, so no Avatar, Star Trek or Firefly actors.
What about Saoirse Ronan?
An excellent addition.
OMG I completely agree with Imogen Poots! I am a great fan of hers, she has so much potential and she’s so talented, she does manage to brings this sort of life to characters that will otherwise be flat, also this is a girl that also managed to stand head to head with Michael Douglas, Christopher Walker, Michael Fassbender and Philip Seymour Hoffman so yes.
I am still kind of hoping for her to get the lead in Captain America: The Winter Soldier too.
spot on with casting Gina Carano!
Everyone else is gonna be a fast-cut, stunt-woman replacing shot-fest. Those solely asserting “can’t act” never seem to elaborate. Those who do (the overall critical consensus) expound upon the screen-presence and more she possessed that surmounted the 1st-time acting attempt inabilities.