Star Wars and Indiana Jones creator George Lucas bashed girl boss heroes while addressing criticism of his female Star Wars characters during an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival where he received an honorary Palme d’Or.
George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson on the red carpet at Cannes via AFP News Agency YouTube
Variety reports that Lucas addressed criticism of his female characters questioning, “Who do you think the heroes are in these stories? What do you think Princess Leia was? She’s the head of the rebellion. She’s the one that’s taking this young kid who doesn’t know anything and this boisterous, I-know-everything guy who can’t do anything and trying to save the rebellion with these clowns … And it’s the same thing with Queen Amidala.”
He then appeared to broaden his criticism to the general girl boss trend Hollywood has embraced to promote feminism, “You can’t just put a woman in pants and expect her to be a hero. They can wear dresses, they can wear whatever they want. It’s their brains and their ability to think and plan and be logistical. That’s what the hero is.”
George Lucas via Laurent Touil-Tartour YouTube
Not only did Lucas address criticism of his female characters, he also fired back at people unhappy that his Star Wars films did not have enough diversity based on characters’ skin color.
Lucas shared, “They would say, ‘It’s all white men.’ Most of the people are aliens! The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal.”
Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks and Brian Blessed as Boss Nass in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Lucasfilm
As he’s said in the past, he noted that robots are the ones being discriminated against. “That was a way of saying, you know, people are always discriminating against something and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen.”
Lucas added, “I mean, we’re already starting with AI, saying, ‘Well, we can’t trust those robots.”
A scene from Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), Lucasfilm
He also specifically addressed race, “In the first one, there were a few Tunisians who were dark, and in the second one I had Billy Williams.”
“And the [prequels], which they were also criticizing, I had Sam Jackson. He wasn’t a scoundrel like Lando. He was one of the top Jedi,” Lucas declared.
Samuel Jackson as Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Lucasfilm
READ: George Lucas Blasts Disney For Not Understanding Star Wars And The Force
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Lucas also trashed The Walt Disney Company for its handling of Star Wars.
He said, “I was the one who really knew what Star Wars was … who actually knew this world, because there’s a lot to it. The Force, for example, nobody understood the Force.”
He added, “When they started other ones after I sold the company, a lot of the ideas that were in [the original] sort of got lost. But that’s the way it is. You give it up, you give it up.”
Daisy Ridley as Rey in The Force Awakens (2015), Lucasfilm
Despite trashing Disney for its handling of Star Wars and the company’s lack of understanding the basics of the franchise including the Force, Lucas backed The Walt Disney Company’s Board back in March as the company faced a proxy challenge from Nelson Peltz.
A statement from Lucas detailed at the time, “Creating magic is not for amateurs. When I sold Lucasfilm just over a decade ago. I was delighted to become a Disney shareholder because of my long-time admiration for its iconic brand and Bob Iger’s leadership.”
He continued, “When Bob recently returned to the company during a difficult time, I was relieved. No one knows Disney better. I remain a significant shareholder because I have full faith and confidence in the power of Disney and Bob’s track record of driving long-term value. I have voted all of my shares for Disney’s 12 directors and urge other shareholders to do the same.”
(L-R): Paz Vizsla and the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) in Lucasfilm’s THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
What do you make of Lucas’ reactions to the criticism of Star Wars?
NEXT: George Lucas Reportedly Returning To Star Wars For New Live Action Series
