Attending her third Screen Actor’s Guild Award ceremony as part of the Game Of Thrones cast, actress Gwendoline Christie spent time answering questions from the media. Almost inevitably, the subject of Star Wars arose, and Christie unexpectedly confirmed to her interviewers that she would, indeed, be returning for Star Wars: Episode VIII, having starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Her character in the phenomenally successful reboot was that of Captain Phasma – a leader of the First Order storm troopers, and the first clearly female storm trooper to be depicted in the franchise.
Bedecked in an iconic, metallic storm trooper suit, Christie created an incredibly intimidating and ominous presence, though her screen time was ultimately limited. Her fate within Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not clear, and many fans were concerned that we would not see her again. The confirmation from Christie herself that she will be returning is, therefore, welcome news, as the actress discussed the entirety of her involvement in the series of films.
“I was very overexcited. I made no secret of the fact that I really campaigned for the part for a long time. And then I was delighted when J.J. Abrams wanted to have me in the film and then wanted to cast me in this role that had originally been designed for a man.
“I thought the costume was incredibly striking. I also just liked this notion of a female stormtrooper. I felt it encouraged diversity and it was doing something new and it was an interesting bit of casting for women, and I hope that in something that was such a mainstream success it would breed more of those kind of opportunities for other women.
“I will be in the next Star Wars movie. I think that’s an exclusive, actually.”
The return of Captain Phasma is greatly encouraging, in that it ensures the continued inclusion another great female character in the movie, other than Rey – who is played by Daisy Ridley. Hopefully, there will be a realization on the part of director Rian Johnson that the character is a fascinating one, and Star Wars: Episode VIII will consequently have more space for more Phasma when it is released in 2017.