Like the Death Star, the trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has been resting above our atmosphere, waiting for the proper time to send down a powerful beam. And now, it’s finally here!
A brief teaser for the full trailer, which appeared this weekend, followed a longer teaser trailer released in April and the short, original teaser released last fall. That second teaser gave us glimpses of the Millennium Falcon, Han and Chewie. The first introduced viewers to Kylo Ren’s perhaps unnecessary crossguard lightsaber, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) flying through space and a cute little droid named BB-8.
The film takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, and we know that the Empire has transitioned into The First Order, a new, villainous force threatening the galaxy. Our original heroes, Luke, Leia and Han Solo are returning, joined by newcomers Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega), a one-time stormtrooper who will at some point in the film wield a lightsaber. We also know that the Starkiller, the successor to the Death Star, will play a part in this new chapter.
This new, full-length trailer supplied some more narrative to what we’ve already gleaned from the trickles of footage. Rey will clearly be a huge part of Episode VII. Her voiceover proclaiming that she’s “no one” alone strongly suggests she’s someone. But who? J.J. Abrams has said before that none of the new heroes are Solos or Skywalkers, but he’s also been known to throw some fibs around in order to protect the secrecy of his projects. It’s also apparent Finn will be going full Jedi, and if you doubted this, just watch for his placement when Han Solo (Harrison Ford) says the word, “Jedi.”
As for Kylo Ren, he’s obviously the heir apparent to Darth Vader, speaking directly to his deformed helmet (although that could just be clever editing) and declaring his plans to finish what he started. Ren also puts a Dark Side hurting on Poe, who lets out a primal scream. Sheesh, there’s a lot going on in this new trailer, including Han explaining to Finn and Rey that all the stories — I’m assuming he’s talking about Episodes I-VI — are true, even the story that Hayden Christensen is a blight on the prequel trilogy.
What do you think of the new trailer?
Star Wars: The Force Awakens flies into theaters on December 18.
