‘The Rise of Skywalker’ Might Finally Introduce LGBTQ+ Characters, Says Director J.J. Abrams

Philip Ellis

December 5, 2019 4:50 PM

There's a lot riding on The Rise of Skywalker when it is released later this month. Not only does it need to provide a satisfying ending to the Skywalker family saga that began way back in 1977, but it also has to bring closure to the stories of newer characters like Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac). And while Rey's complicated relationship with villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is front and center in the new movie, many fans have speculated that Finn and Poe's friendship might be confirmed to have a romantic element due to the actors' shared on-screen chemistry.

'The Rise of Skywalker' May Have LGBTQ+ Characters

That particular theory won't be coming to fruition in The Rise of Skywalker, with director J.J. Abrams confirming that Finn and Poe's connection in the movies is strictly platonic. "It is a deep bond that these two have, not just because of the sort of trial by fire in which they met, but also because of their willingness to be as intimate as they areas afraid as they are, as unsure as they are, and still be bold, and still be daring and brave," he told Variety , adding that their bond "goes far deeper than a romantic relationship."

He went on to hint that The Rise of Skywalker may still include LGBTQ+ characters, saying somewhat cryptically: "In the case of the LGBTQ community, it was important to me that people who go to see this movie feel that theyre being represented in the film... I will say Im giving away nothing about what happens in the movie. But I did just say what I just said."

Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega) in 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' BusinessInsider USA Images

Many fans were expecting to see LGBTQ+ representation in the previous installment, The Last Jedi. And while that movie's director Rian Johnson certainly brought more diversity to the Star Wars universe with the introduction of Rose Tico (Kelly-Marie Tran) and Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern), he said in 2017 that sex and romance were "not something that's front of mind" in the movies (despite an allusion to Holdo being pansexual in a Star Wars tie-in novel). He also stated : "I think [LBGT representation] is something that absolutely could have a place in this universe. I'm sure it will at some point."

With FinnPoe off the table, Abrams' comments seem to suggest that one of the movie's new characters , such as Jannah (Naomi Ackie) or Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell), might be queer, but this is Abrams we're talking about, so making any kind of prediction is probably futile. And it is still entirely possible that any LGBTQ+ representation included in the movie might amount to a throwaway line of dialogue from a tertiary character which can be edited out of the international release (yes, some of us are still annoyed about the Sad Support Group Gay from Avengers: Endgame).

Philip Ellis