The Rumour: The hardworking folks at Latino Review again spoiled The Force Awakens for everyone by revealing Episode VII will feature a female villain. Given the dearth of female villains in the Star Wars cinematic universe, a badass lady villain could be a hit with female Star Wars fans. Likelihood: Very Likely The makers of Episode VII have recruited some serious up-and-coming female talent for their cast like Daisy Ridley, Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyongo, and Gwendoline Christie. Also, signs are pointing to the protagonist of The Force Awakens being female. The makers of The Force Awakens seem intent on having a more diverse human cast than the ones found in previous Star Wars instalments, which means women will pop up in larger roles. It would be a significant waste of talent to have actress like Nyongo or Christie play minor characters in the saga. The cadre of villains in the original and prequel trilogies could aptly be described as a sausage party with only one female villain showing up in Episode II (who ended up being a shape-shifting alien). The Force Awakens has a chance to correct this oversight. It would just be good business to attract a wider female audience by having women play major characters in the new instalment.
