Hasbro’s embarrassing u-turn sees Rey make Monopoly cut

6 Jan 2016

In a rather embarrassing u-turn for toymaker Hasbro (or should that be Has-bro?), it has confirmed the leading character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey, will now be included in the Star Wars Monopoly set.

It seems quite baffling that a Monopoly game based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens would not include its main character but, yet, Hasbro revealed that its latest Monopoly set would contain characters Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren and Finn – but not Rey.

Soon after it became known online, the hashtag #WheresRey spread on Twitter, with fans calling for answers as to why the film’s leading figure, who also happens to be a woman, was missing from the set.

One of the most effective Twitter posts was one that appeared to show an eight-year-old’s letter to Hasbro calling for Rey’s inclusion, not just because of her prominence in the film but because “boys and girls need to see women can be as strong as men”.

8 yr old asks, How could you leave out Rey in SW Monopoly? @LetToysBeToys @HasbroNews @PigtailPals #WheresRey pic.twitter.com/EnOs56PQE5

— Carrie Goldman (@CarrieMGoldman) January 4, 2016

Photos of the Monopoly box were also posted online, showing Darth Vader and Kylo Ren as the two main figures, with the four figurines shown confirming Rey’s omission. Incredibly, Hasbro initially said that it left Rey out of the Monopoly set because as it was released in September prior to the launch of the film her inclusion would have spoilt the plot for fans.

This, despite the fact that it was clear she was going to be one of the central characters with a role against the Dark Side in the trailers released in the months building up to the film. Unsurprisingly, given the furore, Hasbro has now issued a statement on Twitter reassuring fans that Rey will be included in the newer version of the Monopoly game, saying that they “love [the fan’s] passion for Rey”.