Thandie Newton Hypes Up Her Solo: A Star Wars Story Role

Westworld star Thandie Newton was one of the more notable stars cast for Solo: A Star Wars Story, with many theorizing that she will be Han's wife who first appeared in Marvel's Star Wars comics. Though the trailers haven't shown fans much of her character, the actress has stated that she will play a prominent role in the film.

Newton actually hyped it up more, by stating that her character would be the first woman of color to have a big role in the Star Wars franchise. Some fans might take umbrage with this since Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico was an important part of The Last Jedi, though many tend to view her as a supporting character who was a part of the film's filler segments.

Speaking with Radio Times (via Independent), Newton did bring up other women of color who have appeared in the series, though she noted how they would either be CGI or only have one line. She also brought up how she will have an action figure, which sounds minor until you remember the outrage regarding the lack of toys for Black Widow and Rey.

"There have been others with one line and Lupita Nyong'o was a computer-generated character (The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi), but you didn't get to see the colour of her skin. I'm the first. I'm going to have a toy and everything. It's exciting, but that's all I can say. It is a big deal."

Considering how Western media has focused on mostly-white protagonists, Newton's words are pretty encouraging. Granted, Solo is still headed by a white male but the fact that Newton has teased a more important role for her character is a step up.

Solo: A Star Wars Story comes out on May 25.

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