Rey of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

I'm tired of talking about strong female characters -- not because I don't want to watch them but because we shouldn't have to speak them into existence any longer. Grae Drake, senior editor of Rotten Tomatoes, believes we are getting closer to that goal as 2015 has been a record-setting year for women at the box office.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ripped the lid off of Hollywood's equality conversation, handing us a bold modern hero that is truly the first of her kind. From the moment she climbs into frame, Rey (Daisy Ridley) establishes her unwavering independence. In fact, her male counterparts lean on her expertise and courage so often that it is comical. And perhaps what's most shocking about Rey is the skin she isn't showing. Her costume is functional.

There's no doubt Rey wouldn't be here without the action heroines that preceded her: Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in "Alien," Uma Thurman in "Kill Bill," and of course Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia.

We're just beginning to understand Rey's position in the galaxy but where ever she came from, Rey is Hollywood's new hope.