In a galaxy not so far away (because it’s here and now), the rumor mill is a-churnin’ and it is filled with a veritable smorgasbord of badass ladies to tackle the female lead in the Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars: Episode VIII. According to a sweet, sweet rumor-sclu from The Wrap, Tatiana Maslany, Gina Rodriguez, and Olivia Cooke are all on the shortlist for the part.

This is, obviously, exciting for several reasons. On Orphan Black, Maslany has proven for several seasons now that her acting ability is comparable to none in addition to her prowess in the sci-fi world. She was also reportedly the second choice to star in Star Wars: Rogue One, which ultimately went to Felicity Jones. It then feels safe to assume that Maslany might be their number one choice for the role—to see her name in consideration for any Star Wars project is exciting, but to see it twice? Sounds like Lucasfilm wants themselves a piece of the sestrahood like no other (because it’s made up of one insanely talented person).

But we should certainly not discount Rodriguez or Cooke, either. On Jane the Virgin, Rodriguez has broken out for her ability to handle serious drama (and seriously campy humor) with incredible aplomb. There is no denying she’s a force with which to be reckoned. And Cooke’s work in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl quickly shuffled her name to the top of most casting directors’ shortlists for female leads, with her work in genre fare like Bates Motel and Ouija showing her dexterity. All good things for a potential Star Wars lead. Now we’ll just have to see who passes the John Boyega chemistry test, which is another thing that is allegedly happening soon according to the report.

In the meantime, though, let’s have fun thinkin’ about how this will all connect to The Force Awakens. Because why not, right?

Star Wars: Episode VIII is slated to open in theaters May 26, 2017—so we’ve got some time to play the speculation game. But who would you like to see in the role? Let us know in the comments.

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HT: The Wrap
Image Credit: BBC America; The CW; A&E

Alicia Lutes is the Associate Editor of The Nerdist. Geek out with her on Twitter about Star Wars and badass ladies @alicialutes.