The list of the female cast so far announced for Episode VII is as follows: Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie in major roles and Crystal Clarke in an as-yet indeterminate role. That's five women, compared to the seven new male actors joining the already dude-heavy returning original cast. Fans were in an understandable uproar when the first major casting announcement was made that included only Fisher and Ridley as the sole female characters, as they were presumably hoping for some hint of progression in the 30 years since Lucas' first trilogy only included one female lead. Of course, subsequent announcements laid some fears of inequality to rest with the enthusiastically-received additions of the Oscar-winning Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave) and Game of Thrones' Christie (Brienne of Tarth), but the scales are still heavily weighted in the men's favour. This might seem surprising coming from JJ Abrams, whose TV show Alias was firmly focused on a female lead, although it's appropriate to remember than she was surrounded by dudes and had not one but two father figures, a theme heavily apparent in most of the director's work. The suggestion that Ridley could be the central focus of the film is most welcomed, but it doesn't really balance the scales if almost all of the supporting cast are men, does it?
