I’ve now seen the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, for the third time. I’ve been a fan of the franchise since I was little, so hearing about this new film was like an early Hanukkah present. My excitement was well founded-- this newest installment didn’t fail to deliver unlike, perhaps, some other recent Star Wars movies we know and love (Hayden Christensen did the best he could and I don’t blame him for anything).

This new movie features a woman as its main character, along with two men of color to complete the traditional Star Wars trio. This in itself is incredible, as it shows Hollywood that movies with POC and female stars as their front runners don’t only succeed, but break box office records.

What I enjoyed most about the movie was the characters. We had many familiar characters joining a cast of fresh new faces. The characters, especially that of the main three, were realistic, relatable, and very fun to watch. It’s really easy to believe the friendships that are going on between Finn, the ex-stormtrooper, and the scavenger Rey and the pilot Poe.

However, many fans (myself included) began to wonder the same thing when seeing Poe and Finn interact: is there something more going on between them? I say yes.

But don’t just take my word for it. Oscar Isaac, who plays Dameron, made a very interesting comment during an interview before the movie was released. The cast is asked about romance in the plot. For anyone who has seen the movie, there isn’t an explicit relationship shown in the movie between any of the character (barring Han/Leia, of course). However, Isaac does say that, “I think it’s very subtle romance that’s happening. You know, you have to just look very close — you have to watch it a few times to see the little hints. But there was.” Isaac then confirms that he was the one playing romance, but refuses to divulge who the recipient was, and gestures between his two co-stars. For anyone who has seen the movie, you know that Dameron doesn’t get any scenes with Rey. Only Finn. Very interesting

Many Finn/Poe fans were disappointed to hear that the Finn/Poe romance was not confirmed. However, I didn’t find myself disheartened. Even if Finn/Poe didn’t happen, it could still be possible that Dameron is gay, and the crushing is one way. As much as I’d like a gay couple in Star Wars, it would still be amazing to have a gay character.

Would this be the Star Wars franchise’s first LGBT+ character? Surprisingly, no. However, I had to do a little bit of digging to actually find characters that fit the bill. And they aren’t in the movies, they’re in the books. Not exactly top notch representation there, but at least, it could be used to prove a point if someone tried to claim that “being gay doesn’t exist in the Star Wars universe” (and believe me, I’m sure someone would try to do that). Having Poe Dameron, a major character in the films, be gay would be a much bigger deal.

And why would this be a big deal? Because Star Wars is one of the biggest franchises in history. Now that it’s owned by Disney, it’s only getting bigger. Hundreds of thousands of people have watched, read, and played content related to the series. Seeing a gay character as an important and central figure in the story would be incredibly important for LGBT+ people, especially children who would otherwise have no exposure to homosexuality in the media. If a kid, struggling with his sexuality, sees that Poe Dameron could have a crush on his best friend, that child is no longer going to think that they’re strange or wrong for feeling that way. It’s important that we have that kind of representation and support for members of the LGBT+ community. The Force Awakens has already broken so many barriers with its casting choices; another push wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Now, is this really going to happen? Somehow, I doubt it. We may have seen a few examples of LGBTQIA+ representation in the Star Wars franchise, but they were incredibly minor. There’s a big difference between putting a gay character in a book and putting one on the big screen. If Dameron ever does turn out to be gay, I have a feeling may be in a Dumbledore-esque way-- i.e., without explicitly saying so on screen. Rowling’s sentiment about representation seemed to have fallen short considering how she never mentioned or alluded to it in the actual books. While something like that may be revolutionary, it’s still playing safe in the public eye, and we very well may see that with Poe Dameron. Perhaps some more will be revealed in his comic, that is to be released sometime later in 2016.