Daisy Ridley successfully anchored the big budget, international smash hit “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” So why is her character, Rey, still missing from the “Monopoly: Star Wars” board? That’s right — as The Hollywood Reporter writes, Hasbro still hasn’t made good on its January 2016 promise to include a Rey token in all versions of “Monopoly: Star Wars.”
“In early 2016, Hasbro updated the 2015 ‘Star Wars: Monopoly’ game to add a Rey token,” Hasbro spokesperson Julie Duffy commented via email. “This product was sold to retailers in several markets around the world but is not available for sale in the U.S. due to insufficient interest.”
Duffy is quick to note that the Rey token does exist — it’s just not included in the game. If consumers want to play Monopoly as Rey, they’ll have to contact Hasbro’s customer service and specially request the token. Apparently Hasbro offered the new version of the game (Rey included) to U.S. retailers but they declined. They “had ample inventory [of the original game] so they did not choose to sell the new version,” Duffy explained.
Yeah, we’re going to have to call bullshit on this one.
Instead of completely ignoring Rey, the protagonist of “The Force Awakens,” Hasbro is now making her an inconvenience. Going to customer service is an extra, unnecessary step that could annoy consumers, if they even know to do so in the first place.
Annie Rose Goldman, the young girl who asked “Where’s Rey?” in a 2016 letter to Hasbro, said requesting a Rey token via customer service is “an awful lot of trouble.” Goldman added, “They didn’t keep their word.”
Even if the “U.S. retailers don’t want the new game” story is 100 percent genuine, Hasbro has the option of distributing Rey tokens individually. That way the pieces would at least be readily available and consumers wouldn’t have to make a special request for them. Of course, it would be even better if Hasbro gave their customers some credit and trusted that they would buy “Star Wars: Monopoly” even if — or because — it includes the film’s main character, who just happens to be female. You know, they could actually make good on their promise and sell the game and the Rey token in one handy package.
That would satisfy Annie Rose Goldman and her mother, Carrie. “I would still like to see it where any girl or boy or person who goes to buy the game, Rey is in there,” Carrie Goldman commented.
Monopoly isn’t the only “Force Awakens” product that excluded Rey. As we wrote in January 2016, “Star Wars” fans were outraged by the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Battle Action Millennium Falcon toy set. It included Chewbacca, Finn, and BB-8, but no Rey. Rey was also absent from a Target action-figure set, but Chewbacca, Poe Dameron (who is only in the movie for like 10 minutes tops!), Finn, Kylo Ren, First Order Stormtrooper Officer, and the First Order TIE Fighter Pilot are all there.
The #WheresRey? controversy seemed to correct itself with the release of the Felicity Jones-led “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Most of the film’s tie-in toys featured Jones’ character, Jyn Erso. We’re glad that Jyn is getting the attention she deserves and it’s high-time Rey received her due as well.
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which also centers on Rey, hits theaters December 15. Let’s hope the “Last Jedi” Monopoly game comes with a Rey token.
