George Lucas Has Singular Response for ‘Star Wars’ Diversity Critics

Ahead of receiving an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, George Lucas weighed in on the debate regarding a perceived lack of diversity in his early Star Wars films (via People). Some fans have long complained that Star Wars reinforces a white, patriarchal view of society despite being set in a far-away realm of fantasy.

“They would say, ‘It’s all white men,'” Lucas recalled of the criticism. “I'd say, it's not. Most of the people are aliens," he contended. “The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green and whatever—the idea is all people are equal.”

Lucas was quick to point out that, in the Star Wars universe, the only characters ever shown to be discriminated against are robots and droids; but this was an effort at social commentary rather than something more nefarious.

“That was a way of saying, people are always discriminating against something, and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen,” Lucas explained. “I mean, we’re already starting with AI, saying, ‘Well, we can’t trust those robots.'”

While reminding fans that he often cast actors of color in his Star Wars films, such as Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Lucas lamented that he wasn’t given more credit for his elevation of female characters. In his opinion, it was often the white men who were designed to look silly and hapless.

“Who do you think the heroes are in these stories? What do you think Princess Leia was? She’s the head of the rebellion," Lucas told the crowd. "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."

Lucas directed the original Star Wars, released in 1977, though he would give up directorial reigns on the two immediate sequels, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He returned to direct the controversial prequel trilogy which kicked off with 1999’s Phantom Menace and culminated in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. In 2012, Lucas sold his stake in Star Wars to Disney, who've spent the last decade rebooting and spinning off the franchise.

Lucas is set to receive his honorary Palme d'Or on May 25 at the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival.