A new edition of the board game for The Force Awakens includes Finn, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader tokens – with the notable absence of Rey, the film’s lead

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

She has been embraced by fans as this generation’s new film hero, but in the most recent release of the Star Wars Monopoly game, Rey is nowhere to be seen.

Instead, the game released by Disney and Hasbro features the four character tokens of Finn, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. It is the latest in a line of official merchandise that has drawn ire for prioritising less prominent male characters over Rey.

Mike Caulfield (@holden) Someone seems to be missing in Star Wars Monopoly. Unbelievable. #whereisrey pic.twitter.com/NKceWEKVbZ

Fans have complained about Star Wars Monopoly’s inclusion of Darth Vader, who does not feature in the latest film, at the exclusion of the saga’s newest possible Jedi Knight. The Hasbro website states the game includes “2 Rebel, 2 Empire” character tokens, and draws from the Star Wars “legacy”, along with the latest film.

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Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, is a central character in the latest chapter of the Star Wars film franchise, The Force Awakens, which hit the $1.5bn (£1.01bn) mark at the global box office this weekend.

The scavenger from Jakku, Rey is also a keen pilot that mans and repairs the film series’s star vehicle, the Millennium Falcon. However, the release of Hasbro’s toy version of the vehicle was accompanied by a Chewbacca figurine, as well as Finn and droid BB-8 (neither of whom pilot the ship) and not a Rey in sight.

Alex M Langenfeld (@CorporateMalice) Rey is the new pilot of the millennium falcon, but the soccer ball gets more love. Come on #StarWars #WheresRey pic.twitter.com/YK34eA3xYf

A Star Wars figurine pack released by Target also failed to include Rey or other new female Star Wars characters such as Captain Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie. The six featured characters are Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, Finn, Poe Dameron, a Stormtrooper and a TIE Fighter pilot.

Jamie Ford (@JamieFord) Avengers set - no Black Widow Guardians set - no Gamora Star Wars - no Rey. She's THE MAIN CHARACTER. #WheresRey pic.twitter.com/TvYUeiA49o

A trending hashtag #WheresRey has been charting the absence of Rey from chain store shelves selling the film’s official merchandise.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Disney promised that the unmet demand for Rey merchandise will be addressed with a release of toy lines in January.

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“Rey and Phasma feature prominently across hundreds of products, and are selling exceptionally well,” Disney’s senior vice president and head of licensing for Lucasfilm, Paul Southern, said.

“In many stores and e-commerce destinations, products featuring Rey are selling as quickly as retailers can restock shelves. Fans will also be seeing a lot more of Rey with a new wave of product coming in January.”

Other recent action films, including Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, have come under fire for toy lines that focused on male characters. In April Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk in the Avengers film, tweeted “@Marvel we need more #BlackWidow merchandise for my daughters and nieces. Pretty please.”