Rogue One: Move over Finn and Poe, is this Star Wars' first official gay couple?
LGBT Star Wars fans have long been looking for some onscreen representation - could Chirrut and Baze finally be it?
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For all there is to celebrate in Rogue One's diversity, it has to be said that LGBT fans are still found lacking in representation.
Which is one of the reasons a fairly dedicated fandom sprung up around the idea The Force Awakens' Finn and Poe could be the Star Wars franchise's first same-sex couple, though the theory was unfortunately shot down by John Boyega himself.
Yet, the same has happened again, with fans now more hopeful that the Star Wars franchise will finally offer an LGBT couple to its canon in the form of Rogue One's Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus.
Vulture writer Kyle Buchanan writes of the duo's "old-married-couple" vibe, thanks to Baze's bemused looks shot across to Chirrut every time he launches into another monologue about the powers of the Force.
Also highlighting the line "I don't need luck, I have you"; Buchanan particularly picks up on Chirrut's death scene, having sacrificed himself by walking out into open fire in order to pull the lever allowing an urgent message to be transmitted to the Rebel Alliance.
Chirrut dies in Baze's lap, momentarily raising his hand to caress Baze's cheek; who in turn runs into battle repeating Chirrut's mantra of, "I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me", in a suicidal gesture of vengeance and grief.
"I don't mind people reading into [Chirrut and Baze's relationship]. I think that's all good. Who knows? You'd have to speak to them," director Gareth Edwards told Yahoo! Movies when questioned about the relationship, which is at least less of a definite "no" than Finn and Poe received.
Buchanan may have picked up on a (potentially intended) subtext between the two Rogue One characters, but there's something perpetually frustrating about LGBT fans being left with nothing but subtext, having to read into characters' sexuality instead of it being explicitly expressed onscreen.
Whether its Finding Dory having to sneak in its same-sex couple with a quick cameo, or Ghostbusters' Paul Feig buckling under the studio pressure preventing him from officially confirming Kate McKinnon's character in the film is gay, filmmakers are still having to speak in code when it comes to LGBT representation; a trope that hasn't changed since Holllywood's early days.
J.J. Abrams has stated in the past that LGBT characters will appear in future Star Wars films, so hopefully we're only simply talking a question of when, and not if.
And, as GLAAD's criticism of Star Wars' lack of LGBT representation stated: "As sci-fi projects have the special opportunity to create unique worlds whose advanced societies can serve as a commentary on our own. The most obvious place where Disney could include LGBT characters is in the upcoming eighth Star Wars film."
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