The cast of the first "Star Wars" movie in 1977 was all white and predominantly male. Since then, the sci-fi franchise has slowly moved towards greater diversity in its roles.
The cast of the first "Star Wars" movie in 1977 was all white and predominantly male. Since then, the sci-fi franchise has slowly moved towards greater diversity in its roles.
IMDb
Billy Dee Williams was the first -- and for a while, the only -- African-American actor to hold a prominent role in the series, appearing in "The Empire Strikes Back" and then "Return of the Jedi."
Billy Dee Williams was the first -- and for a while, the only -- African-American actor to hold a prominent role in the series, appearing in "The Empire Strikes Back" and then "Return of the Jedi."
Lucasfilm
One of the most divisive characters in the "Star Wars" series was Jar Jar Binks, the computer-generated amphibian voiced by actor Ahmed Best in 1999's "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." Jar Jar was widely booed for what some felt was a stereotypical accent and appearance that the Wall Street Journal likened to a "Rastafarian Stepin Fetchit." Best rejected the criticism, calling it "really stupid."
One of the most divisive characters in the "Star Wars" series was Jar Jar Binks, the computer-generated amphibian voiced by actor Ahmed Best in 1999's "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." Jar Jar was widely booed for what some felt was a stereotypical accent and appearance that the Wall Street Journal likened to a "Rastafarian Stepin Fetchit." Best rejected the criticism, calling it "really stupid."
Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images
Hugh Quarshie played Captain Panaka, the bodyguard for Natalie Portman's Queen Amidala character in "The Phantom Menace."
Hugh Quarshie played Captain Panaka, the bodyguard for Natalie Portman's Queen Amidala character in "The Phantom Menace."
Lucasfilm
Latino actor Jimmy Smits played Senator Bail Organa in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones."
Latino actor Jimmy Smits played Senator Bail Organa in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones."
Lucasfilm
Samuel L. Jackson played Jedi Master Mace Windu in "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith."
Samuel L. Jackson played Jedi Master Mace Windu in "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith."
Lucasfilm
Temuera Morrison, who is of partial Maori descent, played Bounty Hunter Boba Fett in "Attack of the Clones" and Commander Cody in "Revenge of the Sith."
Temuera Morrison, who is of partial Maori descent, played Bounty Hunter Boba Fett in "Attack of the Clones" and Commander Cody in "Revenge of the Sith."
Lucasfilm
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o will co-star in the next "Star Wars" movie, "Episode VII: The Force Awakens," to be directed by J.J. Abrams. It's scheduled to hit theaters in December.
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o will co-star in the next "Star Wars" movie, "Episode VII: The Force Awakens," to be directed by J.J. Abrams. It's scheduled to hit theaters in December.
ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Actor John Boyega also will appear in the next Star Wars film. He popped up, literally, in the first trailer for the film, generating complaints from some fans about "black stormtroopers." He told them to "get over it."
Actor John Boyega also will appear in the next Star Wars film. He popped up, literally, in the first trailer for the film, generating complaints from some fans about "black stormtroopers." He told them to "get over it."
Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Pictures
The upcoming Star Wars novel, "Lords of the Sith," will feature the first gay character in the official Star Wars canon, the lesbian Imperial official Moff Mors.
The upcoming Star Wars novel, "Lords of the Sith," will feature the first gay character in the official Star Wars canon, the lesbian Imperial official Moff Mors.
Random House
The growing diversity of 'Star Wars'

Story highlights

Official "Star Wars" universe gets its first gay character, a lesbian governor

The character appears in the upcoming novel "Lords of the Sith"

Characters in "Star Wars" movies have gradually become more diverse

CNN  — 

If you feel a ripple in the Force today, it may be the news that the official Star Wars universe is getting its first gay character.

According to the sci-fi website Big Shiny Robot, the upcoming novel “Lords of the Sith” will feature a capable but flawed Imperial official named Moff Mors who “also happens to be a lesbian.”

The character is the first gay figure in the official Star Wars universe – the movies, television shows, comics and books approved by Star Wars franchise owner Disney – according to Shelly Shapiro, editor of “Star Wars” books at Random House imprint Del Rey Books.

It’s not entirely unprecedented; a previous Star Wars book series and a few video games have featured gay relationships. But those characters aren’t considered to be part of the “official” “Star Wars” world outlined by Disney last year.

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The new character is part of that world, and none too soon, Shapiro said.

“There’s a lot of diversity; there should be diversity in ‘Star Wars,’ ” she told Big Shiny Robot. “You have all these different species, and it would be silly to not also recognize that there’s a lot of diversity in humans.”

Except there hasn’t always been a lot of diversity in “Star Wars.”

The franchise, one of the biggest in all of science fiction, featured an all-white main cast for its first film and has been criticized for a lack of prominent female, minority and gay roles.

The series did eventually add Billy Dee Williams in the role of Lando Calrissian, and minority actors played a bigger role in the prequel films. For instance, Samuel L. Jackson played Jedi Master Mace Windu, and Jimmy Smits had a role as Princess Leia’s adoptive father, Bail Organa.

Just a few months ago, black actor John Boyega appeared as a stormtrooper in a trailer for the upcoming “Star Wars” film, a decision met with some controversy. Two other black actors also have roles in the film.

A couple of “Star Wars” video games have included references to gay relationships. A 2007 novel also included a gay couple, but for many fans, neither the video games nor the “extended universe” novels were part of what they considered to be the official “Star Wars” universe.

Disney, which now owns the “Star Wars” franchise, endorsed that view last year, sweeping all the old novels, video games and other materials into a side room and slapping a “Legends” tag on them. Only the six movies, the animated “Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” series and stories published since the change are considered “canon.”

And although we don’t know much about the storyline of the new movie, due out late this year, there’s been no mention of a gay character, giving top billing to the “Lords of the Sith” appearance for fans excited by the inclusion of a lesbian character in a heretofore uniformly straight universe.

The news was met with excitement, skepticism and some concern.

“Very excited about the recent #StarWars news,” Twitter user BlueJaigEyes said. A Twitter user called vilinder wrote, “tough Star Wars getting a canonical lesbian character is extremely cool!”

But, as you might expect, not everyone was so thrilled.

A common refrain: What difference does sexuality make?

“Response I have is why should the sexual (preference) matter to character building?” one Twitter user asked.