The early Star Wars movies were far from diverse, and even the prequels didn't feature much in the way of strong female characters and non-white actors in prominent roles. That's all about to change though, something which is evident from the number of actresses who have been cast and the fact that there is indeed an increased level of racial diversity. Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams have made it clear that this isn't diversity for the sake of diversity though. "We didn't write the character of Finn to be any colour," Abrams explained at Comic-Con. "We didn't write the character of Rey to be any colour." Kennedy reiterated that point by making it clear that the plan for future movies is to continue broadening their horizons, thereby expanding the cast so that this Galaxy Far, Far Away is just as diverse as ours. It's not just Star Wars: The Force Awakens which is prioritising diversity in case you think it's just some sort of gimmick to bring goodwill to this first instalment of the new trilogy. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Lucasfilm are eyeing Benicio del Toro for the lead villain role in Star Wars: Episode VIII! Follow all of our Star Wars: The Force Awakens coverage here for opinions and analysis.
