Felicity Jones says her 'Rogue One' character won't be sexualized

LONDON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Felicity Jones says fans shouldn't expect her Rogue One: A Star Wars Story character to have a gold bikini moment.

The 33-year-old English actress revealed in the January issue of Cosmopolitan that Jyn Erso won't "in any way be objectified" in the forthcoming standalone film.

"Everyone wanted to create a character that was not in any way objectified. We didn't want to sexualize Jyn," Jones told the magazine. "We don't even see Jyn's arms! That's not her priority. She's a survivor, and she has a mission to complete."

"[Director] Gareth [Edwards] said very early on, 'I want guys to watch it and be like, 'I want to be Jyn!' A female friend of mine said, 'I love that Jyn looks how we look, with trousers and a long-sleeved top.' We aren't in hot pants. When do women walk around wearing hot pants?" she said.

Carrie Fisher famously wore a gold bikini as Princess Leia in the 1983 movie Return of the Jedi. Jones said fans should expect Jyn to more resemble franchise heroes Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford).

"She's a bit of a wounded animal when you meet her. There were moments when she's been blown over, she's scrambling to get up, and she falls. It's important that she's not perfect. Gareth and I, we want to see her being a human being," she said of her character.

"She's obviously completely her own woman, but I felt like [she] was a rather beautiful blend of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo -- and that came up in discussions around designing the costume," she revealed.

Jones is the second woman to lead a movie in the Star Wars franchise, following Daisy Ridley's turn as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The actress discussed the importance of female heroes in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in August.

"It's vital [to have strong female roles]," she said. "As we're seeing in politics, it's a world where women are becoming leaders of nations, and films should be reflecting that."

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters Dec. 16. The movie co-stars Diego Luna and Ben Mendelsohn, and released a new TV spot trailer that appeared to feature the character Grand Moff Tarkin this week.