J.J. Abrams recently revealed he welcomes more diversity in the Star Wars franchise, including gay characters.
“When I talk about inclusivity, it’s not excluding gay characters, it’s about inclusivity,” Abrams told the press at the Oscar Wilde Awards on Thursday, according to People. “To me the fun of Star Wars is exploring the possibilities, so it seems insanely narrow-minded to say that there wouldn’t be a homosexual character in that world.”
Abrams previously told EW that during the development of The Force Awakens, he “just knew that this movie needed to look the way the world looks.” Star Wars: The Force Awakens thoughtfully included a female protagonist, Daisy Ridley, and two co-stars of color, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac.
Openly gay characters have yet to be introduced in Star Wars films, but they have appeared in recent tie-in books, including the Imperial defector Sinjir Rath Velus in Star Wars: Aftermath and Moff Delian Mors in Lords of the Sith.
Abrams will remain involved with the franchise as executive producer. Star Wars: Episode VIII began production on Feb. 15 and will be directed by Rian Johnson (Looper). Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) will helm Episode IX.
