Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s lesbian kiss was ‘embarrassing’ attempt at queer representation, says New Mutants director

Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kiss occurs between two minor characters near the end of Episode IX

Josh Boone, director of the upcoming X-men spin-off The New Mutants, has criticised the blink-and-you’ll-miss it gay representation in Star Wars.

Last year’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker featured a brief moment in which two minor characters of the same gender can be seen kissing towards the end of the film.

In an interview with TooFab, Boone described the scene as “the most embarrassing” example of queer representation.

“It was just somebody in the background and [the filmmakers] were like, ‘We’ll put out articles as if this is something you should pay attention to,’” he said.

In the run-up to Rise of Skywalker‘s release, director JJ Abrams hinted that the film would be the first Star Wars movie to feature explicit LGBT+ representation.

Larma D’Arcy (Amanda Lawrence) and wife Wrobie Tyce (Vinette Robinson) share a kiss in ‘Rise of Skywalker’ (Disney/LucasFilm)

The director told Variety: “In the case of the LGBTQ community, it was important to me that people who go to see this movie feel that they’re being represented in the film.

“I will say I’m giving away nothing about what happens in the movie. But I did just say what I just said.”

After the film’s release, however, Rise of Skywalker was criticised by many fans and critics for what appeared to be an inconsequential gesture towards representation, without any substance.

Some people even reported missing the moment entirely when they saw the film in cinemas.

Earlier in the year, Avengers: Endgame drew similar criticism, when the widely publicised inclusion of a gay character amounted to a single scene in which a man is seen discussing his male partner.

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The New Mutants will reportedly include a prominent same-sex romance between mutants Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams) and Danielle Moonstar (Blu Hunt).