Nobody involved with JJ Abrams' massively anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens is ever able to go into much detail about their role, but EW's chat with Gwendoline Christie has shone a little more light on her role. Within the film, Captain Phasma's gender is "matter-of-fact", which Christie notes, is exactly why she's important. "We know very little about her at this stage, but what I think people are drawn to is that this is a very progressive female character," she explains. "We see Captain Phasma, and we see the costume from head to toe, and we know that it is a woman. But we are used to, in our media, connecting to female characters via the way that they look, from the way they are made flesh."
The character's design is a chrome-tinted extension of the Stormtrooper uniform, and the full body armour, as well as foreboding helmet, provided an acting challenge for Christie. "It wasn't just about what I was expressing above the neck, it was also as focused on what I was expressing below the neck. It was an interesting acting experience as well as a fangirl's dream." Though we've seen antagonists of all genders and species throughout the (now defunct) Star Wars Expanded Universe, Phasma is a brand new anomaly within the films. "She's Star Wars' first female villain," Christie says. "It's incredible, it's timely, and I'm very proud to be a part of it." Are you excited to Captain Phasma in action?
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