With the exception of a brief scene at the start of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, droids in the Star Wars universe are generally male. There was a brief moment in which we though BB-8 might be a lady droid, but since then, the Ben Schwartz-voiced droid seems to be yet another dude droid. In Rogue One , Alan Tudyk voices K-2SO, another male droid (and a hilarious one, at that), but the film originally had a reference to the lack of lady droids, according to the actor. Be sure to look out for this Rogue One deleted scene when the Blu-ray and iTunes versions eventually drop (I know, I know, the film isn't even in theaters yet, but I'm too excitable to curb the urge to look to the future special features).
"There was one line in this movie that was cut where I saw another K2 droid and someone says, 'Looks just like you' and I say 'That is a female,'" says Tudyk with a laugh, when I speak to him at Lucasfilm Headquarters ahead of Rogue One's release.
The line would have been an easy enough insertion to help fix the odd reality that female droids seem to be a rarity in the galaxy, but unfortunately, the line didn't make it into the final version of the film. "So there was one at least pointed out but it ended up getting cut because it wasn’t a good place for a smartass remark. It didn’t make it," the actor explains. And because the film is a rough, guerilla-style war film, it's understandable that there would be certain situations where comedy comes across as a little out of place.
Still, it's nice to know that screenwriters Tony Gilroy and Chris Weitz were at least thinking about an issue that's been bugging so many fans for years. Maybe someday, in a future Star Wars movie, the line can make an appearance in some other capacity. Hell, we could even see another droid as sarcastic and self aware as Tudyk's K-2SO show up if the minds at Lucasfilm are feeling really generous (Ilana Glazer, the protocol droid, anyone?). After all, there are at least three more films headed our way, and the way these movies continue to succeed, I'd wager that Disney and Lucasfilm aren't looking to slow down.
Images: Lucasfilm; Giphy
