Star Wars fan fiction is an utterly fascinating genre, and one of the most interesting stories that has consistently popped up since the release of The Force Awakens is the potential romantic entanglement between Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) in future Star Wars adventures. Fans have speculated for quite some time that their apparent chemistry in the central Star Wars universe could represent an indicator of a much deeper connection, but as of right now it's little more than fan conjecture. That said, Star Wars insiders are not ruling out the possibility of a Finn/Poe romance at some point. When asked about the potential for romance between the two characters, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy opened up at Star Wars Celebration Orlando and explained:
In the next six or eight months we will have some meetings about the stories that we will develop next. After 40 years of adventures people have a lot of information and a lot of theories about the way these stories can [go], and sometimes those theories that come up are new ideas for us to listen to, read and pay attention to. [It's] clear that the fans are as much masters of this franchise as we are.
Although Kathleen Kennedy would not explicitly confirm the existence of a romantic relationship between Finn and Poe during her chat with Ecartelera at Star Wars Celebration Orlando, she made it clear that the folks behind the Star Wars franchise listen to fans. Based upon the current time frame that she has laid out, it doesn't sound like we will see any hint at a deeper romantic connection between these two male Star Wars characters when Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi debuts. Beyond that? All is fair in love and Star Wars, so it could happen.
It's not terribly surprising to learn that Kathleen Kennedy and the people behind Star Wars are starting to pay more attention to the opinions of fans in the creation and development of their favorite fictional universes. With the increasing prevalence of social media, fans can easily make their voices heard -- which can subsequently lead to incredibly effective grassroots movements. That's how Deadpool got made in the first place (after fans caught wind of the leaked test footage) so a significant enough movement to make Finn and Poe a couple could certainly convince Lucasfilm to make it happen in the Star Wars canon.
Beyond that, the success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens proved an increasingly diverse ensemble of main characters can help a blockbuster film sell -- especially overseas. The Star Wars series has seen great success in shifting its focus to black, Hispanic, and female leads, so introducing gay characters into the galaxy far, far away seems like another way to double down on this efficient use of representation in a beloved franchise.
As of right now, it remains unclear as to whether or not making Finn and Poe gay represents the proper creative move for the Star Wars franchise. This series stands in a unique position compared to properties like Marvel or DC, because Finn and Poe are relatively new characters in the history of the property. Unlike the campaign to make Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes gay in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which gained quite a bit of steam last year), Finn and Poe don't have much history in the annals of pop culture. That makes it considerably easier for Lucasfilm and Disney to tinker and toy with that aspect of their characterizations and make drastic alterations.
For now, Finn and Poe will only remain good friends, but we will have to wait and see how this pans out as the Star Wars universe expands. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will debut in theaters later this year on December 15.
