Star Wars: Rumor Roundup
With the Star Wars Celebration right around the corner (April 16-19), loads of rumors have been smashing into the Internet like a runaway asteroid. We’ve searched the vast and far reaches of the web, and gathered as many of these rumors together, so you don’t have to.
First up, a relative oldie but a goodie from Movie Pilot:
In February, J.J Abrams reportedly made a comment regarding the possibility of moving up the release date for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. According to the report, Abrams is considering the movie to the summer, for fear of all the plot leaks and concept art leaks. Abrams is a highly secretive man and he actively works to keep leaks from happening.
However, in today’s world where even regular citizens can own flying drones, keeping secrets is not as easy as it was in 2008, when the director made Cloverfield. I mean, we never even laid eyes on that darn monster until halfway through that nausea inducing shaky-cam film!
Moving The Force Awakens to the summer could be quite hazardous for Abrams and Star Wars. 2015 promises to be a possible blockbuster summer with Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jurassic World probably taking the top slots.
I don’t really see this happening, myself, as we are halfway through April, and Avengers II, airs on May 1st. Announcing, at the latest possible minute, that The Force Awakens would be premiering in the summer, would not make much sense.
Then we have another 2 month old rumor that hasn’t received much play, from Making Star Wars, regarding emails that were sent to them from an insider in or around the movie. Now, there is way to much to quote here, so I will pick out the most interesting parts, but there is so much, that I highly suggest clicking the above link, and read it in its entirety.
- Luke Skywalker is hiding in self imposed exile, for much of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He has been protecting an ancient Sith tomb from being opened by the movie’s main bad guy, Kylo Ren. Who or what lies in this tomb is rumored to be an Ancient Sith named Darth Plagues The Wise, Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious’ master.
- Max von Sydow will reportedly play a watcher to Rey at the request of Han Solo. Sydow’s character is a former Rebel Alliance veteran now dealing in antiquities. Rey does have a lightsaber (Uncle Luke’s), which holds vital information to the rebellion, and is hidden inside the droid, BB-8.
- Rey and Kylo Ren are Han Solo and Princess Leia’s children. Rey’s real name is revealed through Han Solo surprising Finn and Poe Dameron. Much like her father, Rey is resourceful, and humorous, but is scared of being part of a force sensitive family. Her Uncle Luke was trying to guide her to being a Jedi but she refused. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) catches her using the force to move something in her workshop but keeps it to himself.
- Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), is Rey’s brother and Han and Leia’s son, and has been obsessed with his lineage for a few years and is somewhat of a historian with a particular fascination for the Sith, and the Dark Side of the Force. At first, he is a pilot with the Rebel Alliance but because he is harboring evil tendencies he sabotaged Poe’s X-Wing, which results in Poe being on the same planet with Rey. Kylo Ren is arrogant and cares little for his parents or siblings, and wants nothing more than to be as powerful as his grandfather, Darth Vader.
- Apparently, Han Solo will die in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Whether it is by his son, Kylo Ren’s hand, or a mercy killing by Luke, is yet to be seen.
- Stormtroopers will be given personality, in The Force Awakens. A few actors portraying Stormtroopers, were given lines and we will see troopers without helmets in a few scenes. There are now alien troopers, a Weequay and Rodian trooper is in one scene, and there will be a female Stormtrooper.
- That female Stormtrooper will be named Captain Phasma, and will be played by Game of Thrones actress, Gwendoline Christie. She will command a huge ship called in the “Imperial Hand” and she will wear a chrome armored suit which can cloak itself for stealth missions. Christie’s character is said to be demeaning to peers, arrogant, vicious and fearless. She may or may not use a light saber, and is heavily skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Reportedly, She kills 2 Jedi Padawans in the movie while searching for both Finn and Rey. She will have a heavily scarred face and military hair cut.
- Domhnall Gleeson’s character is said to be related to Luke, possibly his son, though the mother is not revealed. He will be a high-ranking Imperial officer, who hates his family, and only wishes to serve the Empire.
Out of all these rumors, I trust the ones coming from Making Star Wars, the most. The site really takes care to dig-deep into their sources, and generally won’t post a rumor without some sort of credible confirmation…although that confirmation may be a secret source.
If these rumors are in fact true, then we may be seeing Rey and Kylo Ren take on the roles of Jaina and Jacen Solo, the twins of Han and Leia. In the Expanded Universe (no longer considered Star Wars canon), Jaina becomes and remains a Jedi, while her brother turns to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Caedus. In the end, Jaina kills her brother, although she takes heavy injuries in the battle.
Should these rumors pan-out, it would appear that J.J. Abrams is taking the Expanded Universe, and forming it into his own Star Wars canon…and I’m okay with that.