The first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story landed late last night, and with it comes plenty of hype, intrigue and chatter about the film’s premise, its characters, and how it ties into A New Hope (apart from the obvious “steal the plans to the Death Star” bit).
It’s a fairly brief trailer, lacking in the nostalgic appeal of the first Episode VII trailer, although it has the nostalgic piano punch to remind us that, yes, this is a Star Wars film, and yes, it’s going to feature some of the series’ iconic sounds, locations and baddies.
So what did we learn from the trailer, and what can we look forward to seeing when the film hits theaters on December 16?
Next Slide: Shadowtroopers, At-at Walks And Blasters, Oh My!
Shadowtroopers, AT-AT walks and blasters, oh my!
The Shadowtroopers here are the big one. They’ve featured in a lot of the non-canonical Star Wars media across novels, games and comics, but have mostly steered clear of appearance and even mention in the films. They’re Force sensitive (so says the Expanded Universe), so things are bound to get interesting.
The AT-ATs are also interesting because we haven’t seen them in action since Return Of The Jedi. They were featured merely as destroyed backdrops (beautifully might I add) in The Force Awakens, and had an active presence in the Battle Of Jakku in Star Wars Battlefront (the battle that took place after the events of Jedi). They have a powerful, intimidating presence on screen, epitomising the Empire’s strangling influence on the galaxy.
Next Slide: Is That Grand Moff Tarkin?
Is that Grand Moff Tarkin?
At around the one-minute mark of the trailer we get a look at a dangly Imperial general, played by Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn. Fan theories floating around the place have Mendelsohn playing Grand Moff Tarkin. He’s clearly a younger character than the Tarkin in A New Hope, but not by much. He also appears to be a few ranks below Tarkin as he was in Episode IV.
The interesting theory floating around is that he is actually the father of Jyn, who is the “rebel” criminal that features throughout the trailer. This works because the Rebels could use her as a means to get close to her father and steal the plans in return for her freedom. My only issue with this is that it seems unlike the Rebels to act so authoritarian in their treatment of a non-Imperial nerf-herder.
Next Slide: Mon Mothma Makes A Return
Mon Mothma makes a return
Rebel general Mon Mothma makes an unsurprising appearance in the trailer, given she was in Return Of The Jedi and is clearly an important cog in the Rebel Alliance’s leadership. She is the one giving orders to Jyn. An interesting theory floating around is that this story will involve many a death of the brave few attempting to steal the Death Star plans: Mothma’s emotional frustration at the loss of lives in Jedi could be a post-traumatic response to the events of this film.
Next Slide: Isn’t Martial Arts Obsolete?
Isn’t Martial Arts obsolete?
There’s a pretty great moment in the trailer where Donnie Yen’s character is taking on a Stormtrooper with some slick martial arts skills. The question is, though, if he is so efficient in the deadly art, why is he relying on a stick when he could use a blaster or, you know, a lightsaber? More intriguing though is who he is actually playing: he’s clearly one of the good guys (or perhaps an anti-hero of the Boba Fett variety), because we see him take on a number of stormtroopers.
Next Slide: Force-sensitive Antagonist?
You can bet we’re getting a Force-sensitive main antagonist
At around 1:18 we get a look at a mysterious figure in a black cloak, kneeling before what appears to be some sort of frozen chamber. Is this Darth Vader? Is Darth Vader in the chamber? Are those lightsabers in the hands of the two minders? Whatever the answers are, you can just tell that this guy’s bad, and that he knows the ways of the Force. Yes, I know that the film was supposed to be “light” on The Force, but the film is based between Episode III and Episode IV, a period when Darth Vader exists and the Dark Side is very much part of the Imperial plan.
Next Slide: Is That…is That Poe?
Is that…is that Poe?
Poe was undoubtedly one of the best things of Episode VII…buried amongst a hoard of pretty awesome things. He was kind of the cherry on top of a great cast of characters. Subtle, interesting, mysterious. Oh, and obviously awesome! That moment when the Rebels first arrive at Kanata’s castle is one of the film’s best. So does Poe make an appearance in Rogue One? We see this sly-looking confident character standing around the Rebel base, watching on as Mothma gives her orders to Jyn. He appears to have a pretty high standing and you can’t ignore the similarities between him and Poe.
Next Slide: Is Jyn A Spy?
Is Jyn a spy?
It appears unlikely that such a major plot point would be revealed so blatantly in the first trailer, but there are questions as to why Jyn appears in a shadowtrooper’s uniform at the end of the clip. Seeing our heroes don Empire outfits is essentially a series staple, having appeared in A New Hope and The Force Awakens (albeit under completely different circumstances). Could this be different? Could Jyn be an Imperial spy as opposed to a Rebel infiltrator or defected stormstrooper? Does she defect from the Rebels to the Empire?
What did you think of the trailer? Did you spot anything that we missed? Sound off below!