Everyone knows that within the Star Wars universe, some of the best — if yet untold — stories of heroism belong to the women.
Princess Leia, Rey, and Jyn Erso are among the fascinating heroines who have made the series legendary, but for too long, there has been a lack of focus on the female stories.
This week, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced the creation of Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, a series of digital shorts and products focusing on the female stories inside the Star Wars universe.
The short films, which will be about three minutes in length each, will tell new stories about the women fans already love from the major Star Wars films, filling in gaps and taking their character’s storylines in new directions, the company said. They will debut on Disney’s YouTube channel and will be part of a larger merchandise and apparel deal with Disney to celebrate Star Wars’ 40th anniversary.
Read More: Star Wars, ‘Boys' Toys’ and Gender Equality
“One of the opportunities here was to tell the stories in between the larger moments and imagine some of the ways our characters have crossed,” Carrie Beck, an executive producer of the shorts, told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s all part of the larger swath of storytelling.”
Lupita Nyong’o will host the new series as her Force Awakens character Maz Kanata, and will join actresses Felicity Jones and Daisy Ridley who will provide the voices for Jyn Erso and Rey.
The characters will be made into adventure figures that are nearly a foot tall, with weapon packs, outfits, and accessories like R2-D2, EW reported. A real-fur Chewbacca is also coming to the toy aisle.
“Everybody who looks at Star Wars, they take something out of it for themselves,” said Paul Southern, the head of Lucasfilm licensing. “The strong female leads that we have, going back to Leia… while they don’t just appeal to females, that’s an important element. They provide very strong role models.”
The short films will debut on YouTube in July and air along with TV specials on the Disney Channel in the fall.