Disney and Hasbro neglect female lead from new Star Wars Monopoly game

Star Wars Darth VaderStar Wars fans have been angered by the release of a new Monopoly board game based on the film franchise that does not include the main female lead, Rey.

Fans have been left disappointed with the omission of Rey in official merchandise. The board game features new characters Finn and Kylo Ren alongside Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Fans have argued the latters appearance within the game, as Skywalker only has a small part in the new film while Vader doesn’t even appear in it.

Using the hashtag #WheresRey, which has been trending on Twitter, many disgruntled fans are using the social media site to voice their anger. In response, Hasbro released a statement saying, “The Star Wars: Monopoly game was released in September, months before the movie’s release, and Rey was not included to avoid revealing a key plot line…Rey is featured in the following Star Wars games: Hands Down, Guess Who and Chess as well as our 6” Black Series figures, 3 ¾” Figures and Vehicles, Black Series Titanium and Micromachines. Additionally, fans will see more Rey product hitting store shelves this month including 6” and 12” Rey action figures. We are thrilled with the popularity of this compelling character and will continue to look for ways to showcase Rey across all of our product lines.”

This is not the first Stars Wars product line that Rey has been omitted from. She does not appear in the action-figure set and is even left out of cosmetic company, Max Factor’s Star Wars Look Collection advert. Twitter users have also responded to the lack of other female characters in product merchandise, such as the absence of Black Widow from The Avengers and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy.

Hasbro has since released a further statement via their Facebook page, simply saying, “We love our fans’ passion for Rey, and are happy to share that we will be including her in the Monopoly: Star Wars game, available later this year.”

Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released last month and featured the hotly anticipated Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, as the hero of the film. The film has since become the fourth highest grossing film of all time, passing the $1.5 billion milestone in the worldwide box office.

Read more about gender equality within the toy industry here.

About the author

Alison is the Digital Content Editor for WeAreTheCity. She has a BA Honours degree in Journalism and History from the University of Portsmouth. She has previously worked in the marketing sector and in a copywriting role. Alison’s other passions and hobbies include writing, blogging and travelling.
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