Two separate sources have confirmed that Saoirse Ronan has gone in to read for a leading role… possibly the leading role in ‘Star Wars – Episode VII.’ There are rumored to be two major female roles in the movie, one being the daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia, with the other being a villain.
Recently, Ronan passed on playing The Scarlet Witch in Marvel’s ‘Avengers: The Age of Ultron.’ Why would a rising young star pass on a sure-fire blockbuster smash that would certainly elevate her to super stardom? Maybe the parent company (Disney, who owns both Marvel and Lucas Film Ltd.) whispered in her ear that there was another, even bigger role, in another surefire blockbuster smash, that could elevate her to even greater super stardom?
Now keep in mind, she hasn’t been cast. She simply went in to read for the part. And it wasn’t stated which role (or roles) she read for.
Princess Leia is one of the most iconic female heroes in science fiction, but she quite often found herself playing the damsel in distress. And in the trilogies, Natalie Portman portrayed Queen Padme Amidala, who while brave, was hardly the “hero” of the films. There have been very few other female characters in the entire franchise, but most were minor roles. The closest thing the Star Wars franchise has had to a proactive female hero was the Jedi-in-training Ahsoka from ‘The Clone Wars.’
But in the age of Katniss Everdeen, maybe the time has come for a young woman to take center stage. After all, both of the other two trilogies were male coming of age stories, centering on Luke and Anakin Skywalker. Do we really need a third one? This would bring a fresh take to the galaxy far, far away. And the idea of a female villain adds yet another new dimension.
Keep in mind, this is all rumor right now, with the first film not due out until 2015 (the same year as ‘Avengers: The Age of Ultron‘). It’s a certainty that hundreds of other rumors will surface between now and then.
What do you think of Ronan? Will she make a good star for the franchise? And how do you feel about the new movies focusing on a young woman instead of a man? Comment below!
Sources: Latino Review
