Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has said women in Star Wars, such as The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland, struggle due to a male dominated fanbase.
Speaking to The New York Times, Kennedy spoke of the importance of representation in Star Wars. The Acolyte will be the first Star Wars TV show created by a woman in its 47 year history, while Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be the first woman to direct a film with her Daisy Ridley starring sequel.
"My belief is that storytelling does need to be representative of all people. That’s an easy decision for me," Kennedy said, before admitting its "terrifying" to work in a franchise like Star Wars today.
"Operating within these giant franchises now, with social media and the level of expectation — it’s terrifying. I think Leslye has struggled a little bit with it. I think a lot of the women who step into Star Wars struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal."
Despite this downside, Headland has made clear her love for Star Wars in the past, saying it saved her life, and she also told IGN in March 2024 she's "very proud to be the first woman to create, produce, direct, and showrun a Star Wars series".
She continued: "Obviously Deborah Chow directed Obi-Wan, and many, many women have contributed to the films. But to be the person at the center of the narrative, the word that’s coming to mind is it’s a real honor. It’s so special to me. I think it’s a thing that is rare, and the fact I get to be that person that is doing that, I think is a testament to how much I love Star Wars, and how I would not stop until I got to make one."
Obaid-Chinoy has spoken out on the importance of this representation, saying "it's about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away".
The original Star Wars premiered in 1977 as a film directed by George Lucas. Other films have seen Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand, J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson, Gareth Edwards, Ron Howard, and Dave Filoni all helm. Filoni, James Mangold, and Taika Waititi are all leading upcoming projects too, but Obaid-Chinoy will be the first woman to direct.
Little is known about the film, outside of it focusing on Rey as she rebuilds the Jedi Order 15 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker, though Ridley said in November 2023 it's a "really cool" film that isn't at all what she expected. "I haven’t read anything, but I know the story," she said at the time. "It’s really worth telling, worth exploring, and I think people will be excited."
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
