First ‘Rogue One’ Action Figures Reassure Fans They Won’t Need to Ask “#WheresJyn?”
When ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens’ first opened last December, audiences instantly fell for tough and charming heroine Rey. The heir to the Skywalker lightsaber (and family name? Only time will tell…) became an instant fan favorite.
Yet despite being one of the film’s lead characters, Rey was noticeably absent from merchandise. While antagonist Kylo Ren could be found in every toy aisle, Rey couldn’t even be found in a Millennium Falcon play set despite inheriting the ship at the end of the film. Twitter took up the cry of “#WheresRey”, as fans and parents of fans demanded more toys that featured the film’s female lead.
It looks as though Disney, Lucasfilm, and Hasbro have learned their lesson when it comes to marketing toys and merch for the next “Star Wars” film.
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”, set to open on December 16, centers on another female protagonist, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones). Even though the film is being hyped as an ensemble picture, the first trailer makes it abundantly clear that the rebellious Jyn is the center of the story.
At the “Rogue One” panel during Star Wars Celebration in London on July 15, moderator Gwendoline Christie introduced the first action figure from the upcoming “Rogue One” line-up. Despite having the option of starting off with a Darth Vader figure (as the film takes place before A New Hope, the galaxy’s favorite villain will be making a cameo appearance) which would be guaranteed to sell, the first figure released was Jyn. The figure was sold as an exclusive at San Diego Comic Con the following weekend.
Recently, in order to promote the film, Disney released early images of their toy lineup. Jyn was perhaps the most featured character alongside droid K-2SO and the variety of Stormtroopers. Jyn is also present on various t-shirts and merchandise. Unlike “Force Awakens” merch, which was dominated by the male leads of the film, Jyn is the face of “Rogue One’s” marketing.
We still have several months until “Rogue One” hits theatres, but at least fans can rest assured that they will not have to pick up the rallying cry of “#WheresJyn.” Hopefully, this also is a sign that when “Star Wars Episode VIII” comes out in 2017, Rey will finally be marketed as a protagonist instead of an afterthought.
