Part 4/9:
Critics contend that this emphasis on diversity is virtue signaling, rather than a genuine narrative development. Historically, Star Wars featured numerous strong female characters, such as Princess Leia, Padmé Amidala, and Rey, and a variety of diverse alien species and human actors of different backgrounds. The current narrative, however, seems to frame efforts as groundbreaking, even though diversity has been an integral part of Star Wars for decades.