J.J. Abrams: "Of Course" Star Wars Will Have an Openly Gay Character

"To me, the fun of Star Wars is the glory of possibility."

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Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens features a cast that's noticeably more diverse than Lucas' original trilogy. For one thing, neither main character is a white dude. For another, even minor and supporting characters are played by actors of color, which might not sound groundbreaking, but when those roles are traditionally filled with white guys by default, it's a huge deal. And although director J.J. Abrams faced criticism—mostly from racist nerdboys—for casting John Boyega, the film's massive profits prove it pays to show people a world that reflects their own.

So it's not surprising that Abrams wants to expand the scope of representation even further. In the next Star Wars (which has tragically been pushed back to the end of 2017), Abrams told the Daily Beast he could absolutely see a future for an openly gay character in the Star Wars galaxy. "Of course!" Abrams said in response to the question. He went on, "When I talk about inclusivity it’s not excluding gay characters. It’s about inclusivity. So of course. To me, the fun of Star Wars is the glory of possibility. So it seems insanely narrow-minded and counterintuitive to say that there wouldn’t be a homosexual character in that world."

And there's no reason to think we haven't met that character already. Many fans have already picked up on the vibes between Boyega's Finn and Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron, and Star Wars: Episode VIII director Rian Johnson isn't doing much to dash their hopes:

Time to start brainstorming a couple name. Foe? Pinn? 

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